A New York Republican and avid supporter of former President Donald Trump claims she was barred from entering Citi Field stadium until she removed her “Make America Great Again” hat, an incident that the organization has claimed was a mistake.
Aura Moody and friend Taisha both wore MAGA hats when they arrived at the stadium for a New York Mets game on Wednesday night, alongside other members of the Queens Village Republican Club. They had just passed security when a Citi Field employee informed them that they were not permitted inside with their pro-Trump gear on.
Moody, 64, expressed her shock at the request to remove her hat, stating, “The United States of America is no longer the vehicle of freedom and tolerance…that was the first thought that came to my mind.” Moody attempted to invoke her First Amendment rights multiple times but was informed by the staffer that the MAGA cap was “too political” and needed to be removed.
Moody and Taisha, who are both members of the Queens Village Republican Club board, only agreed to take off their hats in order not to inconvenience the rest of their group, who were already seated inside the stadium. The staffer also refused to let them keep their hats in their bags, leading Moody and Taisha to call a friend with whom they had carpooled to store the hats in their vehicle.
Moody took a photograph of herself wearing her MAGA gear with Citi Field as a backdrop to document the incident. She accused the venue of “political discrimination.
We are conservative people, we believe in tolerance. If I was wearing a BLM, Biden, Harris hate, they would have let me go through,” she scoffed.
Upon entering the stadium, Moody observed that other members of her group who had entered separately were allowed to keep their MAGA caps on. She did not see any “idiot Kamala Harris” or “corrupt Joe Biden” merchandise displayed by others in attendance.
After attempting to file multiple complaints with Citi Field staff, Moody was directed to an online complaint form, but she had not received a response as of Saturday afternoon.
The New York Mets attributed the situation to an employee mistakenly applying the organization’s attire policy and issued a statement apologizing to Moody, stating their intention to reach out and invite her back to the ballpark. The experience only strengthened Moody’s support for the Republican Party and Donald Trump.
Moody’s grievances with more liberal policies date back several years. In 2021, she claims she was terminated from her job as a social worker in the New York City school system because she refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Over 900 Department of Education workers were fired by Mayor Eric Adams when they refused to get the jab, as announced by City Hall in 2022.
Citi Field has not yet responded to The Post’s request for comment on the allegations.
