There's More to the Story About That National Anthem Head Slap Heard Round the World

It was the slap heard round the world. Or, at least, viewed by millions.

As our Rusty Weiss reported, a viral video that captured the internet showed an older man slapping a younger man upside the head at a Chicago Cubs game against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. The younger man’s crime? He refused to stand for the national anthem.

As Rusty noted, the slap induced widely different opinions, with some saying the older guy taught the dude a well-deserved lesson, while others opined that it set a bad precedent even if sitting during the national song is wrong. You can’t just go around assaulting people whose behavior you don’t like, the argument goes.

Now the identity of the older man has been revealed, and he says he regrets losing his cool, but he’s a Vietnam vet, and the guy was really yanking his chain.

TMZ tracked down the Cubs fan -- Robert "Bob" Chavez -- and he tells us he lost his cool in the moment because he is a Vietnam veteran who had numerous buddies killed in the war.
Bob says he told the young man his veteran status and war stories when asking him to stand ... but the guy just kept sitting down, so Bob let loose a slap.

Here’s the incident in question:

Man gets SLAPPED for not standing for NATIONAL ANTHEM

Cubbies fans go hard in America… pic.twitter.com/3UMfwjDIc8
— RT (@RT_com) July 21, 2026

Chavez admitted that his wasn’t an act that others should emulate:

Chavez told TMZ that he informed the young man of his status as a veteran of the Vietnam War, and even rattled him with some stories from the conflict - all to no avail.
But looking back on the incident, Chavez admitted that he shouldn't have resorted to physical violence.
'Oh yes, definitely. I wish I could,' he told Inside Edition when asked if he wanted to take back the slap.
'Because, you know, even though I fought in Vietnam and I had buddies killed, you know, I mean, we fight for the rights of the people, and that's one of his rights.'

One Song, Two Wars, and an Enduring American Anthem: The Story Behind 'God Bless America'

Now the story gets more interesting: the two made up and even grabbed a brew together. That’s the American spirit:

Bob says there's some important context missing from the viral video ... claiming both men made amends and apologized.
He says the younger man even bought him a cold beer ... and they explained to one another why they felt so strongly about the anthem and what they feel it represents.
Bob says security came over to kick him out ... but the younger man told them it was all good.

Meanwhile, both the police and the Cubs brass are aware of the slap, but neither is showing any interest in taking action against Bob.

The Cubs confirmed Bob's narrative to TMZ, saying ...“The National Anthem is an important tradition at Chicago Cubs games. While we respect the rights of individuals to decide for themselves, we encourage every fan to stand, if they are able, and to remove their caps while the anthem is being played."
The club adds ... "At the same time, the safety and security of our fans is our top priority. Our security team spoke with the fan who had been struck. He indicated that the matter had been resolved, he did not want to have anyone ejected from the ballpark or any further action taken, and we respected his wishes.”

Bob is a hero to some, a villain to others. In the end, all’s well that ends well, however, and maybe this younger fellow will think twice about his country and the service members who fought (and are fighting now) to keep it free.

Editor's Note: Thanks to President Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership, the warrior ethos is coming back to America's military.

Help us report on Trump and Hegseth's successes as they make our military great again. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.