We have seen President Donald Trump publicly praise a number of sports figures over the years, including Patrick Mahomes, John Harbaugh, and others. Of course, it always helps if the person on the receiving end of Trump’s affection has supported him in the past.
Such is the case with MLB legend Roger Clemens, a lifelong Republican and outspoken Trump backer. Based on his credentials, Clemens should have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame years ago; due to allegations of steroid use, he remains on the outside looking in.
This week, Trump blasted “jealous” Hall of Fame voters for refusing to grant the seven-time Cy Young winner admission to Cooperstown, posting about it on Truth Social.
Trump goes to bat for ‘Rocket’
“How about Roger Clemens not being in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, all because a bunch of jealous people with far less Talent, voted that he shouldn’t be there,” Trump began Wednesday. “He was also not convicted, or admitted, to taking Drugs. Roger is easily one of the few Greatest Pitchers of All Time, winning 354 Games, 7 Cy Young Awards (A Record, by 3!), and played in three World Series, winning two! He was third in most Strike-Outs. The Commissioner told me he was going to approve Pete Rose, but he waited long enough until Pete died. No wonder Baseball is in trouble!”
A World Series winner with the New York Yankees in 1999 and 2000, Clemens spent 10 years (2013-22) on the official Hall of Fame ballot, peaking at 65.2% of votes in his final year. That total was still short of the 75% required to secure induction.
This isn’t the first time Trump has publicly called for Clemens to be voted into Cooperstown, and it probably won’t be the last. It is true that Clemens has long denied using PEDs, but the smoke around him has been too thick to allow for voters to put him in.
Clemens missed induction for the 12th time in 2025, when he failed to receive the five necessary votes from the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.
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