A New York Trump-enthusiast was allegedly refused entry to Citi Field after staff at the stadium spotted her wearing a MAGA hat.
Aura Moody, a board member of the Queens Village Republican Club, was allegedly stopped from entering the stadium on Wednesday until she took off the cap.
She told DailyMail.com that she and a friend, Taisha, were halted by staff as soon as they passed through security, and were told they ‘had to remove’ the hats and return to the parking lot before they could enter.
‘I told them, I have First Amendment rights!’ Moody said. ‘They told me it was political, I said you cannot do that!’
It comes amid growing national tensions in the lead up to November’s presidential election, with exclusive DailyMail.com polling finding that political divisions have driven Americans further apart on key issues than ever before.
Aura Moody, a board member of the Queens Village Republican Club, was allegedly barred from entering Citi Field on Wednesday because she was wearing a MAGA hat
Aura, seen outside Citi Field on Wednesday, said she was stunned when a staff member allegedly singled her and a friend out and ordered them to remove their ‘political’ caps before they could enjoy the ball game
Moody and Taisha said they were attending the ball game with other members of the Queens Village Republican Club, situated in deep-blue New York City, which claims to be America’s oldest Republican club.
After passing by security, Moody was allegedly stopped by a Mets employee, and told she was not allowed to wear a red baseball cap with the words ‘Make America Great Again’ on the front.
She said she was outraged at the move, and berated staff: ‘I have the right to wear whatever I like.’
‘I felt as though I was in a communist country,’ she added.
The two women said they were intent on enjoying their evening, so eventually complied and returned their hats to their cars before watching the game to join the rest of their conservative group inside.
Taisha added that she felt she and Moody were ‘discriminated against’ in the situation, as she blamed ‘the climate’ as the nation heads into an election.
Both women said they complained with Citi Field after the game, and are considering whether to file a police report.
Moody, pictured with former Republican nominee for Mayor of New York City Curtis Sliwa, was allegedly barred from the stadium because ‘supervisors told her the hat was too ‘political’
In a Facebook post on the incident, a friend of Moody’s said he was stunned by the decision, and shared it to social media.
‘Folks, I honestly don’t give a s*** if you despite Donald Trump, that is NOT what this is about!’ the post read.
‘Is this the America you want to live in?’
Viewers reacted with outrage after Moody’s alleged expulsion from Citi Field after it was shared by journalist Miranda Devine, with one questioning: ‘Do they send people back to their car if they have on a (Kamala) Harris shirt?’
Others branded the move ‘ridiculous’ and urged Moody to explore whether her rights were violated.
Citi Field did not immediately respond to a request for comment, as did the Queens Village Republican Club. Moody could not be reached.
Moody has previously made a name for herself around New York’s political scene, including leading a march through the streets of Manhattan to protest the COVID-19 vaccines.
According to the Facebook post on the incident, Moody was a teacher in New York who lost her job after she refused to get the vaccine.
In footage shared to X, she was seen marching with a small group of anti-vaccine protestors last year, as she raged against the ‘unconstitutional COVID vaccine mandates.’
Moody’s group also appeared to be involved in rallying Trump supporters earlier in the year when the former president held an unprecedented event in the Bronx.
Moody’s group also appeared to be involved in rallying Trump supporters when the former president held an unprecedented event in the Bronx, seen with rappers Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow
At the event, former President Trump drew an estimated crowd of 25,000 people to his rally in the Bronx on Thursday afternoon, with many in attendance noticed to be Black and Hispanic voters
It was expected that Trump may avoid campaigning in his former home state of New York almost entirely as it routinely votes Democrat, however pundits said they were staggered by the large numbers of people who gathered for the rally in May.
Trump’s crowd in the Bronx was packed with Black and Hispanic voters, leading some to feel the rally marked a turning point in the Republican’s ability to gain votes from minority groups heading into November’s election.
Polls are also showing Trump has made significant inroads with Black and Hispanic voters in this election cycle, including one Ipsos poll that found African Americans were 20 percent less likely to vote for the Democrats than in 2020.
Two June polls conducted by AP-NORC also showed that about 7 in 10 black Americans have a somewhat or very unfavorable view of Trump – a poor favorability, but a clear uptick since Trump only received eight percent in the last election.