Leave it to a guy born in Queens to take a shot at the Mets…in the middle of Braves country.
Only Benedict Donald.
While speaking at a rally in Marietta, Georgia, President Donald Trump veered into baseball as he welcomed Atlanta Braves Development Company President and CEO Mike Plant and former Braves manager Brian Snitker to the stage. Instead of showing a little hometown love, Trump took aim at the Mets’ high-priced roster.
“I like baseball. I like baseball. But this guy’s done such a great job,” Trump said while referring to Plant. “You know, the Mets have the highest salary in baseball, and they lose all the time. Maybe we can steal him.”
The remarks drew loud applause from the Georgia crowd, many of whom responded with the Braves’ signature Tomahawk Chop after Plant was introduced. Trump encouraged the crowd to continue before praising the Braves’ long-standing organizational success.
The timing of the jab wasn’t lost on baseball fans. Just one day later, Trump welcomed the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House, calling the franchise “one of the great brands anywhere in the world” while congratulating the club on another championship season.
Trump’s comments also came as the Mets continue to endure a disappointing season despite carrying one of baseball’s largest payrolls, a point he used as the punchline of his baseball anecdote.
For Mets fans, hearing a Queens-born president roast the Amazin’s in front of a crowd of Braves supporters felt like getting picked off first base while wearing a Tom Seaver jersey. Then again, if there’s one thing Mets fans have mastered over the decades, it’s taking a joke, shrugging it off, and saying, “Wait ’til next year.”
Of course, baseball has a funny way of humbling predictions. Pennants aren’t won at political rallies, payrolls don’t guarantee championships, and every October has a way of writing its own script.
