Trump Announces Pardon for Baseball Icon Pete Rose

President Donald Trump revealed on Friday his intention to grant a pardon to Pete Rose, the late baseball legend known for holding the record for the most hits in Major League history. In a post on Truth Social, Trump lambasted Major League Baseball for excluding Rose from the Hall of Fame due to his gambling activities, arguing that the punishment was unjust. Rose, who passed away last year at 83, was banned for life from the sport after admitting in 2004 to betting on games—though he insisted he never wagered against his own team. Despite his plea for reinstatement, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred denied Rose’s request in 2015.
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“Over the next few weeks I will be signing a complete pardon of Pete Rose, who shouldn’t have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on his team winning,” Trump wrote. “He never betted against himself, or the other team. He had the most hits, by far, in baseball history, and won more games than anyone in sports history.” While Trump highlighted Rose’s on-field achievements and framed the pardon as a correction of an overly harsh penalty, he did not clarify the specific scope of the pardon. Rose’s legal troubles also included a five-month prison sentence in 1990 after pleading guilty to tax evasion, leaving some ambiguity about what the pardon might address.