The New York Yankees have installed several glass panels in front of the seating area reserved for Donald Trump during their Thursday night game against the Detroit Tigers.
Trump will attend the game at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
But the visit comes just over 24 hours after Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking to students at an event at Utah Valley University.
Images released on Thursday afternoon show a row of three glass panels lined up next to each other in the stand.
It also comes as a suspect has gone on trial this week for trying to assassinate Trump while he played golf in South Florida last year.
Just nine weeks ago, Trump narrowly escaped another assassination attempt while on his campaign trail in Pennsylvania. The attacker fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear before being neutralized by a Secret Service sniper.
The Yankees have positioned a number of glass panels in front of where Donald Trump will sit
Trump will attend the game against the Tigers to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks
It comes just over 24 hours after Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking in Utah
When questioned about his safety on the White House lawn before heading to Yankee Stadium, Trump stated: ‘Not really. My main concern is for our nation.
‘We live in a great country. There is a radical left extremist group out there, absolute lunatics, and we are going to address that issue. My only worry is for the country.’
The Yankees have also warned fans to get to the stadium early because of the extra security protocols being put in place for the president’s visit.
Fans were seen lining up in long security queues late afternoon on Thursday as they arrived for an emotional evening.
Hours before the scheduled first pitch at 7:05pm local time, Trump’s secret service confirmed the increased security plans for Yankee Stadium.
The U.S. Secret Service assured in a statement to The Wall Street Journal that ‘President Trump receives the highest level of protection, and our strategies are adjusted as necessary to handle changing threats.’
‘People at and near Yankees Stadium tonight should expect to see more law enforcement officers. For safety reasons, we can’t disclose the specific tactics used in our protective measures.’
Kirk was shot to death with a single bullet on Wednesday at UVA. The killer remains at large, although authorities have released images of a suspect.
On Sunday, Trump’s appearance at the men’s final of the U.S. Open led to a half-hour delay for the match and massive security lines for annoyed tennis fans in Queens.
Organizers would later apologize on Sunday night to fans impacted by the delays, saying: ‘We understand the frustration of fans that were delayed in their entrance to Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Fans were seen lining up in long security queues late afternoon on Thursday as they arrived
Yankees manager Aaron Boone and players Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon place a wreath near the September 11, 2001 monument
‘The added security protocols were put in place by the United States Secret Service. We took several steps to make this process as seamless as possible and educate our attendees on the potential delays in advance of their arrival.
Daily Mail reporter Matthew Lambwell, who was also on the ground in Queens, said about the frantic scenes before the match got underway: ‘This is total chaos here. Lines are absolutely insane. They will either have to delay again or start with hardly anyone in.’
Of course those delays took place before the sniper attack on Kirk, whose death has now prompted increased security measures by the Secret Service.
Trump was invited to attend Carlos Alcaraz’s win over Jannik Sinner by Swiss watchmaker and tournament sponsor, Rolex, prompting the United States Tennis Association to ask media partners to censor all responses to the President.
Trump ultimately arrived long before most spectators due to the aforementioned security delays, but still got a mixture of boos and cheers in his native Queens.
As for Thursday’s game in the Bronx, the Yankees’ cable network, YES, stated that it has no such instructions.
The Yankees held a minute’s silence to honor Charlie Kirk after his assassination Wednesday
‘The YES Network has not been instructed to censor any reactions,’ read a network statement to Daily Mail.
Potential dangers at major sporting events include nerve agents and chemical weapons, as one US Open insider recently told Daily Mail before Sunday’s final.
‘We’ve been scoping out the area with our colleagues in the CIA and taking precautions in the event of an attack using chemical weapons or nerve agents,’ the source said.
Kirk’s death was on the minds of fans at Yankee Stadium, where the conservative activist was honored with a moment of silence on Wednesday. Other sports figures like Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker and ex-race car drive Danica Patrick have also shared their grief with followers over the murder.
