Donald Trump first pitch announced AND cancelled but Yankees in the dark

Dr Anthony Fauci's ceremonial first pitch during the MLB 2020 season opener was, anti-climactically, a flat "curveball". Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, who was apparently overlooked by the Washington Nationals in favour of Dr Fauci, is throwing curveballs of his own - but on social media. Days announcing on Twitter that he will be throwing the first pitch on August 15 ahead of the New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox game, Trump backtracked on his initial tweet to cancel the said first pitch. According to the New York Times, though, both pieces of news came as a surprise to the Yankees.

Also Read | NORC Poll: Trump Treatment Of Virus A 'new' Low

Donald Trump first pitch cancelled

According to the report, Donald Trump was not happy after he was snubbed for Dr Anthony Fauci to throw the ceremonial first pitch. So much so, that he confirmed during a White House briefing that he would be throwing the first pitch during the Yankees game on August 15. The news reportedly came as a surprise to Trump's staff as well as the Yankees, who had little knowledge of Trump's plan to throw the first pitch. Yankees President Randy Levine is said to be a good friend of Donald Trump and had reportedly extended an open invitation for Trump in the past to throw out the first pitch. However, The New York Times reports nothing had been finalised between the two parties. 

Also Read | Dr Fauci's First Pitch A "flat Curve" That Goes Straight To The Deck: WATCH

While Trump's news was just being digested by the MLB, Trump threw another curveball after he tweeted out on Sunday stating he would be cancelling the first pitch due to his other commitments amid the coronavirus pandemic, or as Trump quotes: "the China virus". 

Here's what social media made of Trump cancelling the first pitch:

The rift between Dr Anthony Fauci and Donald Trump with respect to the United States' stance regarding the COVID-19 pandemic has gained a lot of traction in recent weeks. While Trump has tried to dampen the concerns regarding the growing number of cases in the US, Fauci has repeatedly warned about the direction the country is heading in during the pandemic. Last week, the POTUS labelled Fauci as an "alarmist" during a media session and made it clear that does not agrees with Fauci's calls for strict social distancing guidelines.

Also Read | Dr Fauci Says He’s "more A Realist Than An Alarmist" In Response To Trump's Remarks 

Also Read | Dr Anthony Fauci Picked Over Donald Trump To Throw First Pitch For Nationals Season Opener

(Image Credits: AP, Donald Trump Twitter Handle)