NYPD boosts security for Trump's visit to Yankee Stadium on 9/11 anniversary

The New York Police Department ramped up security at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night as President Donald Trump attended the game against the Detroit Tigers on the 24th anniversary of the World Trade Center terror attacks and a day after the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. 

Before the game, Trump greeted players in the Yankees locker room.

"You're going to win," Trump told the Bronx Bombers, noting that the team typically wins when he attends home games. "You're going to go all the way, and you'll get in the playoffs."

Trump appeared in the Steinbrenner family box on the third base side of the stadium alongside Yankees President Randy Levine at about 6:55 p.m. just after a 9/11 tribute had concluded. He was greeted mostly by cheers as public address announcer Paul Olden read off the Tigers' lineup.

He was shown once on the centerfield scoreboard saluting during the singing of the national anthem as he was met with cheers and some ardent boos.

The Yankees officially introduced Trump to the crowd with a public address announcement before the bottom of the second inning when he was shown on the scoreboard next to Levine and owner Hal Steinbrenner.

The reaction was loud and mixed. Trump mouthed "thank you" to the fans.

Bulletproof glass in the front of the box separated the open-air seats from the rest of the stadium.

Before the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he was "excited. I think he's going to come down and come into the locker room for a minute. I've had the honor and fortune of [meeting] some presidents over the years, first pitches, or whatever it may be. The fact that he's going to be here, it’s something that I'm excited to be a part of. "

Among those traveling with Trump on Air Force One to Yankee Stadium was former Long Island congressman and current Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.

Along with photos of himself at the game, Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) posted on X: "I’m with President Trump and my NY Republican Delegation colleagues at tonight’s Yankee game. Strong feeling of patriotism and chants of U-S-A as we reflect on the 24th anniversary of 9/11."

The NYPD had recommended that ticket holders budget extra time for entry due to the enhanced measures.

Homeland Security personnel and Secret Service officers were posted outside the stadium early Thursday evening to screen fans as they entered for the scheduled 7:10 p.m. start time

In a statement early Thursday, the Yankee organization said that in light of anticipated street closures for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic around the stadium it was recommended that the public use mass transit to get to the ballfield.

Trump’s attendance Sunday at the U.S. Open in Queens prompted long delays for ticket holders at the Arthur Ashe Stadium as well as snarled traffic in the vicinity.

An NYPD spokesman said the extra police measures at Yankee Stadium would be similar to what was seen last week at the U.S. Open with a heavy uniformed presence, canine patrols and other measures.

The security ramp up for Thursday night’s game comes against a backdrop of unspecified threats against New York City infrastructure, the anniversary of Sept. 11 and the assassination Wednesday in Utah of Kirk.

Stadium security was being coordinated between the Secret Service and the NYPD.

On Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams noted the interagency cooperation during an interview on Fox News’ "Fox & Friends."

"Really hats off to the thousands of men and women who really water the tree of freedom that many of us sit under every day. They water it with their blood and their commitment," Adams said, speaking of extra security measures. "And we are going to continue that collaboration to protect New Yorkers and Americans." 

Newsday's Laura Figueroa contributed to this story.