WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals have identified and banned at least one individual from Nationals Park after he unfurled a sign during Sunday’s game that directed fans to a white nationalist website and called for the deportation of “100+ million,” according to a team spokesperson.An usher attempted to confiscate the banner soon after it was unfurled in the upper deck down the first-base line, but the three individuals holding onto the sign pulled it back before eventually fleeing the premises, according to a team spokesperson. The incident occurred during the team’s daily “Salute to Service,” which honors veterans and military personnel and is held before the fourth inning.In a statement shared with The Athletic, the team wrote, “The Washington Nationals vehemently condemn discriminatory and hateful rhetoric, and we strive to make our home field a safe space for our fans.”
The Nationals are coordinating with the Metropolitan Police Department on a follow-up investigation. They did not identify the individual who was banned from the stadium.On social media, Jan. 6 rioter and conservative influencer Jake Lang took credit for the banner. It was not immediately clear how the individual who brought the banner in got it past security, but they were not carrying an unapproved bag. Such bags have to be clear and a certain size, or a clutch purse, and are generally checked at the gate. The stadium’s magnetometers detect weapons but would not pick up something like a nylon sign.Nationals Park has extensive guidelines about banners at the stadium. Guest policy guidelines state the stadium is “not a forum or place for use by the public at large for assembly and speech, for use by certain speakers or for the discussion of certain subjects.”Those guidelines state that messages on banners must relate to either Major League Baseball, Nationals players and/or management and staff, the entity broadcasting the game, or specific family-friendly messages that pertain to things like birthdays, weddings, engagements or homecomings.The Nationals also have a policy posted on their website against banners and signs that are slanderous, obscene, vulgar or indecent and inappropriate for viewing by children; or contain “fighting words” or derogatory matter relating to a host of identities, including race, ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, political affiliation or any other category protected by D.C. law.May 18, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
