New York Yankees fans have found another reason to worry about their team's championship hopes, and this time it has little to do with the players on the field.
Donald Trump has sparked a wave of online reactions after publicly praising Yankees president Randy Levine, prompting some supporters to joke that the franchise has been placed under an eternal curse.
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Trump made the comments while discussing Levine, who has been a prominent figure in the Yankees' front office for more than two decades.
Although the president's remarks were complimentary, some fans were far less enthusiastic about the association, turning the moment into an opportunity to vent their frustrations about the organisation's failure to win another World Series since 2009.
"A really great executive, somebody who's won the World Series, he's sort of won it all," Trump said.
"He had a little bit of an off playoffs the other day, but that's okay, because he's won so much it's not going to matter, it doesn't matter. The president of the New York Yankees, Randy Levine. He's incredible. Incredible guy."
The comments were enough to set off a familiar debate among Yankees supporters, many of whom have grown increasingly impatient with the franchise's lengthy wait for another championship.
Rather than welcoming Trump's endorsement of Levine, some fans responded with jokes about bad luck and the team's prospects of ending its drought.
One reaction summed up the mood with a dramatic prediction: "Organization is now cursed for eternity oh my god."
Another fan was equally pessimistic, writing: "We are never winning again."
The comments were sarcastic reactions on social media, not evidence of any actual curse. Still, they reflect the frustration surrounding a franchise that measures success against one of the richest championship histories in professional sports.
Randy Levine remains a divisive figure among Yankees fans
Levine has served as Yankees president since 2000, overseeing major business and organisational developments during his time in the role.
The club won the World Series in 2000 and 2009 while he was president, with the latter title remaining New York's most recent championship. The Yankees' own historical records credit the franchise with a Major League-leading 27 World Series titles.
That record provides some context for the conflicting reactions to Trump's praise. While Levine has been part of a successful organisation, the Yankees' inability to win another championship over the last 17 seasons has left a section of the fanbase questioning the people responsible for the club's direction.
One social-media user put the criticism directly: "Randy Levine is a big part of the reason the Yankees haven’t won in 17 years."
Another fan pointed to the team's championship history during Levine's tenure, responding: "The Yankees have won two World Series with Randy Levine as President in 26 years."
The contrasting comments highlight a wider disagreement about how much responsibility the front office should carry for the team's postseason disappointments.
Supporters who defend Levine can point to the championships won during his time in the organisation, while critics argue that the club's standards should be higher given its resources and history.
A further reaction showed that frustration with the front office extends beyond Levine alone: "Ahh yes bc us Yankee fans absolutely love Randy Levine and Lonn Trost lol."
Trost, the team's former chief operating officer, has also been a subject of criticism among some supporters. For those fans, Trump's praise appeared to highlight the distance between the organisation's leadership and a portion of the fanbase.
The timing of the controversy matters because the Yankees have not lifted the Commissioner's Trophy since defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games in the 2009 World Series. New York returned to the Fall Classic in 2024, but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.
For a franchise with 27 championships, reaching the World Series without winning it is unlikely to satisfy supporters who expect titles rather than near misses.
Trump's comments have therefore become another talking point in the ongoing debate about the Yankees' leadership.
There is no evidence that his praise will have any effect on the team's results, of course, but the online jokes demonstrate how quickly fans can turn a public endorsement into a superstition.
The Yankees' next championship will ultimately depend on decisions made in baseball operations, the players' performances and their results in October, not on who praises the front office.
Yet as the drought continues, every new talking point offers frustrated supporters another chance to question the organisation.
For now, the supposed curse remains a social-media joke. But until the Yankees win another World Series, fans are likely to keep looking for explanations for why one of baseball's most decorated teams has gone so long without another title.