Print
Close
MLB pitcher shares photo with Trump at Turning Point USA event, calls it an 'incredible honor'
By Ryan Morik
Published April 23, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Ryan Thompson met President Donald Trump at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix last week.
The pitcher shared a picture of himself and Trump, saying it was an "incredible honor" to "meet the leader of the free world."
"I’ll never forget the joy I felt waking up to the results in 2016. Fast forward ten years, the greatest president of our lifetime is still fighting for the American people," Thompson wrote in an X post on Tuesday. "Praying for continued favor over [@POTUS] and our country. USA!"
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Diamondbacks pitcher Ryan Thompson pitches against the Chicago White Sox at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 21, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
Trump spoke about a soon-to-be released Pentagon study on UFOs, telling the audience it seemed like the right crowd to hear about the study because Arizonans are "really into that."
"I figured this was a good crowd because I know you people. You're really into that. I don't know if I am," the president told them.
The event was prior to the Diamondbacks' game against the Toronto Blue Jays, which the D-Backs won, 6-3. Thompson did not pitch in the game — Fox News Digital reached out to the Diamondbacks on whether Thompson made it to the stadium for the game after the event but did not immediately receive an answer.
Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Ryan Thompson pitches against the Detroit Tigers at Chase Field on March 30, 2026. (Joe Rondone/The Republic/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Thompson has pitched in an MLB-high 14 games this season to a 4.66 ERA, allowing five earned runs in 9.2 innings pitched. All five of those runs have come in each of his last two outings.
Thompson is recently engaged to Ryann McEnany, the sister of "Outnumbered" and "Saturday in America" host Kayleigh McEnany. Kayleigh is married to former MLB pitcher Sean Gilmartin.
As a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, Thompson was one of five players to peel off a pride-themed logo from their jersey and opted to not wear the team’s pride-themed caps.
Erika Kirk joined President Donald Trump onstage during the memorial service for political activist Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Sept. 21, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Jason Adam, a pitcher who was a part of that group, said it was a "faith-based" decision.
Fox News Digital's Brittany Miller contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/mlb-pitcher-shares-photo-trump-turning-point-usa-event-calls-incredible-honor