Trump wants Pete Rose inducted into Hall of Fame ‘before his funeral’

Pete Rose may never have officially endorsed former President Trump, but the Republican presidential candidate offered his support to baseball’s banned hit leader following Rose’s death this week.

Taking a break from posting to Truth Social about the vice presidential debate Tuesday night, Trump turned to X to demand that Rose be immediately allowed into the Baseball Hall of Fame despite the legendary player’s permanent disqualification for betting about baseball as a player and manager. for the Cincinnati Reds.

“The GREAT Pete Rose just died,” Trump wrote. “He was one of the most magnificent baseball players to ever play the game. He paid the price! Major League Baseball should have allowed him into the Hall of Fame many years ago. Do it now, before his funeral!

Rose died Monday of hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to the Clark County Coroner’s Office in Nevada. He was 83 years old. No funeral services have been announced for Rose.

Banned from playing baseball since 1989, Rose has remained popular with many baseball fans and continues to be celebrated in his hometown of Cincinnati.

Trump has already spoken out in support of Rose.

Days before Ohio’s 2016 presidential primary, the first-time candidate told a crowd in West Chester, Ohio, “We have to let Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame.” Trump also tweeted a photo of an autographed baseball he had just “received from @PeteRose_14.” The note on the balloon read: “Mr. Trump, please make America great again,” with Rose’s signature.

Ray Genco, a lawyer for Rose, said in an email to The Washington Post on the eve of the 2016 primary: “Pete has made it a point not to ‘endorse’ any particular presidential candidate. While he respects everyone who works hard for our country, any media outlet that misinterpreted a signed baseball as an endorsement was wrong. Pete didn’t send any candidate a baseball or a note of support.

Trump lost the primary to Ohio Gov. John Kasich, but he won the state in the November presidential election and beat Hillary Clinton to become the 45th president.

On February 5, 2020, following the Houston Astros cheating scandal, Rose filed for reinstatement to the MLB. A few days later, then-President Trump tweeted his support.

“He bet, but only on his own team winning, and paid the price for decades,” wrote Trump, who also won Ohio in the 2020 presidential election but lost the presidency to by Joe Biden. “Get Pete ROSE into the Baseball Hall of Fame. It’s time! »

In a 2019 interview on Fox Business Network, Rose described himself as “a Donald Trump guy.”

“He’s doing good for the country,” Rose said of the then-president.

Rose added that he knew Trump in the 1980s and “was always a down-to-earth guy.”

“I guess he’s like me in that regard: Throughout my career, I’ve always answered every question that was asked of me,” Rose said. “And sometimes it’s better not to answer all the questions.”