Picture Credit: Twitter
While there have been some crazy celebrations on the sporting field over the years, one that is currently doing the rounds on the internet is in the news not only for the act itself but also for who was found joining in on the same. It so happened that former United States of America President Donald Trump was seen doing the "tomahawk chop" celebration along with the Atlanta Braves fans. He was in attendance at Game 4 of the World Series between Braves and Houston Astros.
Notably, Trump was in suite at Truist Park along with former first lady Melania Trump and others. And when the fans started celebrating, Trump also joined in on the same along with Melania. It took no time for the video of the same incident to go viral on the internet.
Talking about the match, the Atlanta Braves had registered a late comeback against their opponents and won the match by 3-4.
Check out the video of Trump doing the tomahawk chop here:
As far as the gesture itself is concerned, the "tomahawk chop" has sparked controversy as the World Series moved back to Atlanta. This is because the act is said to be offensive towards the Native Americans.
When Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred was questioned about the same celebration, he stated that he has received support from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, who are not too far from Atlanta.
"The Native American community in that region is wholly supportive of the Braves program, including the chop. For me, that’s kind of the end of the story. In that market, we’re taking into account the Native American community," Manfred was quoted as saying by Fox News.
However, the National Congress of American Indians did not agree to what Manfred said and issued an official statement.
"In our discussions with the Atlanta Braves, we have repeatedly and unequivocally made our position clear – Native people are not mascots, and degrading rituals like the ‘tomahawk chop’ that dehumanize and harm us have no place in American society," a part of the statement shared on their social media handles reads.
"NCAI calls on the team to follow the example set by the Cleveland Guardians, and we call on Major League Baseball and the FOX Broadcasting Company to refrain from showing the ‘tomahawk chop’ when it is performed during the nationally televised World Series games in Atlanta," it adds.
