Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Ryan Thompson met Donald Trump at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix last week, calling the encounter an “incredible honor.”
Thompson, a right-handed pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, attended the gathering ahead of Arizona’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. He later posted a photo with Trump on X along with a message reflecting on the meeting, writes Fox News.
“Meeting the leader of the free world was an incredible honor!” Thompson wrote Tuesday. “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. Praying for continued favor over @POTUS and our country. USA!”
Meeting the leader of the free world was an incredible honor!
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.
Praying for continued favor over @POTUS… pic.twitter.com/AvqgSvYJhP
— Ryan Thompson (@R_Thompson15) April 21, 2026
During the event, Trump addressed the crowd and referenced a forthcoming Pentagon study on UFOs, suggesting it would resonate with the audience.
“I figured this was a good crowd because I know you people. You’re really into that. I don’t know if I am,” Trump said.
The Diamondbacks went on to defeat the Blue Jays 6–3 later that day. Thompson did not appear in the game.
Through the early part of the season, Thompson has appeared in a league-high 14 games, posting a 4.66 ERA with five earned runs allowed over 9.2 innings. All five runs have come in his past two outings.
Trump also mentioned Thompson during his remarks, calling him a “terrific player” and recounting a brief exchange.
Thompson is engaged to Ryann McEnany, sister of Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany. Earlier in his career with the Tampa Bay Rays, he was among a small group of players who declined to wear a pride-themed logo on their uniforms, with teammate Jason Adam describing the decision at the time as faith-based.
The Turning Point USA event comes as the organization, founded by the late Charlie Kirk, continues to play an active role in conservative activism.
