Trump leaves World Series game early after crowd boos and chants ‘lock him up’

Fans behind home plate also hold up signs calling for president to be impeached

Donald Trump left a baseball game early on Sunday night after he was booed by spectators and chants of “lock him up!” rang in his ears.

The president was shown on big screens at Game 5 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and the home team Washington Nationals, just hours after the extraordinary press conference in which he announced the death of Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Mr Trump and his wife Melania took their seats in a lower-tier box at the start of the game. Fans just below them turned to look up the box as they arrived, some waving at the president as he smiled and gave a thumbs-up.

At the end of the third inning, video screens carried a salute to armed forces personnel that drew cheers throughout the stadium. But when the screens cut to Mr Trump and his entourage, and the loudspeakers announced their presence, the cheers morphed instantly into a massive chorus of boos and heckling.

People chanted ”Lock him up!” in some parts of the stadium. Later, fans behind home plate held a sign reading “VETERANS FOR IMPEACHMENT”. Another banner appeared during the game: “IMPEACH TRUMP!”

The president was on hand for seven innings before heading back to the White House. Travelling pool reporters were rounded up for departure just after 10pm, about 90 minutes before the game ended.

The mocking chants parodied Trump supporters’ favourite attack line against Hillary Clinton – “Lock her up!” – that they have long used at campaign rallies across the US, encouraged by the president.

Mr Trump is not popular among voters in the District of Columbia, just over 4 per cent of whom backed him in the 2016 election.

The humiliation came as an impeachment probe into Mr Trump’s dealings with Ukraine gathered pace.

Bill Taylor, the ambassador in Kiev, told congress last week that a campaign to persuade Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to publicly investigate Joe Biden’s family had, as far as he knew, been ordered by the president.

However, the possibility that former national security adviser John Bolton might testify in congress was put in doubt, after another key witness filed a lawsuit requesting a ruling on whether close presidential aides are allowed to do so.

Additional reporting by Associated Press