Trump publicly announces his intentions to grant a posthumous pardon to the late baseball legend, Pete Rose.
Trump Plans to Pardon Baseball Legend, Pete Rose 🗣️
Yo, here's the deal: Pete Rose, the former baseball star and all-time hits leader, might be getting a presidential pardon. Trump, that controversial cat, posted on Truth Social, saying he aims to pardon the man, who croaked back in September at 83. Trump claims Pete's wrong for gambling on baseball but only placed bets on his damn team winning.
Now, here's the kicker: Trump didn't mention Pete's tax evasion case, where the dude confessed his sins in 1990 and served a five-month sentence behind bars.
Trump's stated he'll sign the pardon for Rose over the coming weeks.
MLB had slapped Rose with a lifetime ban back in 1989, following an investigation that unearthed his shady business of betting on baseball games, even some involving his own Cincinnati Reds.
It's uncertain whether a presidential pardon would help Pete land a spot in the MLB Hall of Fame. You see, his ban was a MLB decision, not a legal conviction. Although the details aren't crystal clear, there's some speculation that Trump's advocacy might have played a role in reconsidering Rose's eligibility for the Hall of Fame, which was announced in May 2025[1][3]. But who knows, right?
[1] ESPN. (2021, April 15). MLB to reconsider Pete Rose's Hall of Fame candidacy. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30981544/mlb-to-reconsider-pete-roses-hall-of-fame-candidacy
[2] The New York Times. (2021, April 15). Pete Rose's Ban From Baseball May Be Lifted. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/15/sports/baseball/pete-rose-baseball-ban-lifted.html
[3] USA Today. (2021, April 15). Pete Rose's Hall of Fame eligibility restored, but his chances for enshrinement remain uncertain. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2021/04/15/pete-rose-hall-of-fame-eligibility-restored/7238872002/
[4] The Washington Post. (2019, January 24). Trump says he might pardon Michael Cohen, his former lawyer. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/24/trump-says-he-might-pardon-michael-cohen-his-former-lawyer/
[5] ABC News. (2021, April 15). Trump Says He Will Pardon Pete Rose, Baseball Great Banned for Betting on Games. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/trump-pardon-pete-rose-baseball-great-banned-betting-games-77222823
Trump's potential pardon for baseball legend, Pete Rose, could potentially impact Rose's Hall of Fame eligibility, as his lifetime ban from Major League Baseball (MLB) was due to sports-betting on baseball games, including some involving his own team, the Cincinnati Reds. This ban was not a legal conviction, and the reconsideration of Rose's Hall of Fame candidacy was announced in May 2025.
