On July 23rd, the New York Yankees announced that President Trump will throw out  the first pitch at Yankee Stadium on August 15. If the Yankees care at all about the values of its fans and the city it has called home for over a century, they must revoke the invitation immediately.

For decades, Trump has failed New Yorkers in every way possible. Thirty years ago, Trump's racist attacks on the wrongfully convicted young men known as the Central Park 5 contributed to one of the darkest moments in New York's history. A decade later, when New York was hit with the largest terrorist attack in American history, Trump bragged on live TV that his buildings were now the tallest in Lower Manhattan.

Once New Yorkers decisively rejected Trump’s xenophobic campaign in 2016, Trump moved his official residence to Florida because of his wounded ego. Once in office, President Trump moved to enact policies -- the Muslim Ban, family separation, and rolling back LGBTQ rights -- that contravene the essence of New York City’s history as a center of immigration and cultural tolerance. Most recently, Trump’s cruel mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic has hit few cities harder than New York. Thousands of New Yorkers -- including countless Yankees fans -- are dead because of President Trump’s reckless disregard for the duties of his office.  

It is hard to understand why the Yankees would choose to honor this man, at this time, in this city. For decades, the Yankees have brought together fans of all backgrounds and served as a centerpiece that holds together one of the most diverse cities in the country. If the Yankees care at all about their history, and the fans who have elevated them to one of the world's most successful franchises, they will not glorify a man who -- by his words and deeds -- is anything but a true New Yorker.