The Toronto Blue Jays issued a statement Thursday after outfielder Anthony Santander appeared to share a series of anti-Muslim posts on his social media account in response to the 2026 midterm elections.
Santander purportedly reposted two videos to his Instagram story that were later removed, according to the New York Post. The first clip showed Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic senator-elect from Michigan, with the caption, "America Voted For Sharia Last Night!" followed by a second clip which showed a Muslim sitting on a prayer rug captioned, "Islam Is Not Peaceful," and featured a Christian minister describing Islam as "violent" and "driven by war."
I’m all for free speech, but this is extremely disgusting and flat out disrespectful stuff shared by Anthony Santander.
— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) November 5, 2026
Islamophobia is never acceptable, and I hope the @BlueJays take the appropriate action, considering they have some Muslim employees as well. pic.twitter.com/F3VV9cgMLH
"I'm all for free speech, but this is extremely disgusting and flat out disrespectful stuff shared by Anthony Santander. Islamophobia is never acceptable, and I hope the @BlueJays take the appropriate action, considering they have some Muslim employees as well," an X user posted in response.
The Toronto Blue Jays addressed the situation Thursday in a statement.
"Baseball is for everyone, and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark. Individual comments do not represent our organization's values and beliefs," the team said. (RELATED: Elderly Man Charged With Sending Fake Poison Letters To Election Officials)
El-Sayed claimed victory over Republican challenger Mike Rogers during Tuesday's midterm election, receiving 52 percent while Rogers fell short with 45 percent of the vote, according to NBC News. El-Sayed will become the first Muslim American elected to the U.S. Senate.
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