During the Washington Nationals baseball team's game day "Salute to Service" honoring veterans and those currently serving in the military, a racist white nationalist banner was unfurled in the upper deck.
The banner promoted a far-right website and called for someone to "save America" by deporting over 100 million.
The banner stayed up for over a minute.
The website name displayed on the banner made reference to a popular white nationalist conspiracy theory, the Great Replacement Theory, which claims a clandestine effort is being made to "replace" the white majority in the United States with Black and brown people, primarily through immigration.
In some versions, an antisemitic twist is added by blaming Jewish people, hence why the tiki torch-wielding white supremacists that gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia, during MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's first term chanted:
"Jews will not replace us."
At the time, Trump caught flack for referring to the racists antisemites as "very fine people." And it turns out Trump also has a connection to this latest public display of bigotry.
An individual identified among the group that smuggled the banner into the stadium and displayed it was Christian nationalist and white supremacist provocateur Jake Lang.
Trump pardoned Lang for his actions during the January 6, 2021, violent insurrection at the United States Capitol that caused at least five deaths, injured over 150 members of law enforcement, and resulted in millions of dollars of damages.
@joemcjoe11/Bluesky
If anyone had any doubts, Lang leapt at the chance to take credit online for his racism, crowing about how poorly his latest stunt was received by the crowd.
The Nationals announced Lang would be banned from their stadium.
Lang made headlines in February for kicking and destroying a permitted, veteran-sponsored "Prosecute ICE" ice sculpture outside the Minnesota State Capitol. Lang filmed his act of vandalism, posted it to social media, then cried victim when he was arrested by state troopers and charged with felony vandalism.
People had little patience for Lang's antics nor the Nationals stadium staff's reaction.
@DennisGLynch1/X
@johngcole/Bluesky
@admiral6865/X
But the website Lang was trying to promote appears to have already been compromised.
@stevierea/Bluesky
@stevierea/Bluesky
In a statement provided to The Athletic, the Nationals stated:
"[The Washington Nationals] vehemently condemn discriminatory and hateful rhetoric, and we strive to make our home field a safe space for our fans."
A spokesperson for the MLB team added that the Nationals are coordinating with District of Columbia Metro Police Department on an investigation.
Perhaps Lang can garner another felony charge and maybe face the full consequences for his actions instead of being bailed out by Trump.
@EdwardLawrence/X