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President Donald Trump on Friday reaffirmed his position that Pete Rose should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump suggested his absence from the Hall of Fame was a “disservice.”
“I think Pete Rose should have been in the Baseball Hall of Fame a long time ago,” Trump said. “I think baseball has done a great disservice by not respecting his accomplishments on the field.”
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Donald Trump supports inducting Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame, a move that seems likely. (IMAGINE)
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred removed Rose and several other players from the ineligibility list in May 2025, allowing these athletes to be elected to the Hall of Fame. He admitted during a news conference at an owners meeting that Trump’s support for Rose was one of several factors that influenced the decision.
“The president was one of many voices supporting the idea that this was the right decision,” Manfred said last May. “Obviously I have respect for the office and have paid attention to the advice they have given, but a lot of other people have weighed in on the subject as well.”
Trump wrote on Truth Social in March 2025 that he would pardon Rose. He and Manfred met in April about Rose’s Hall of Fame candidacy.
“Major League Baseball did not have the courage or decency to place the late Pete Rose, also known as “Charlie Hustle”, in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Now he is dead, he will never experience the pleasure of being selected, even though he was a MUCH BETTER PLAYER than most who did, and can only be named posthumously. WHAT A SHAME! Trump wrote.
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Donald Trump says Pete Rose should be inducted into the Hall of Fame immediately. (Getty Images)
“Anyway, over the next few weeks I will be signing a full PARDON for Pete Rose, who should not have bet on baseball, but only bet on his team winning. He never bet against himself or the other team. He had the most hits, by far, in the history of baseball and won more games than anyone in the history of the sport. Baseball, which is dying everywhere, should get rid of his fat, his lazy and elect Pete Rose, even if it’s way too late, to the Baseball Hall of Fame!
Rose died in September 2024 at the age of 83 from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Rose admitted to gambling in 2004 after years of maintaining his innocence. He died in September 2024 and predicted 10 days before his death that he would not enter the Hall of Fame until after his death, if not at all.
It was discovered that Rose had bet on the Reds, only to win, despite being both manager and player.
