Former President Donald Trump has announced his intention to pardon baseball legend Pete Rose. Rose was banned from baseball for life in 1989 after admitting to betting on games while he was manager of the Cincinnati Reds.
Trump made the announcement on his TruthSocial page, just hours after he chastised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
"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 posted on Truth Social.
"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."
It's not clear what the pardon would cover, as Rose was not convicted of a crime. Trump made a similar plea during his first term in February 2020 and again in 2024.
Rose, who is now 83 years old, has repeatedly petitioned the league to be allowed back into the sport, but has been unsuccessful. He has also offered guidance to young baseball players, saying that they should be aggressive, more aggressive, and never satisfied.
6 Comments
Rotfront
forgiveness and redemption.
Karamba
I'm proud of Trump for standing up for Pete Rose.
Matzomaster
Trump is right to pardon Pete Rose. He's already been punished enough.
Loubianka
Pete Rose deserves a second chance. He's learned his lesson and wants to give back to the game.
KittyKat
What about all the other people who have been banned for gambling on sports? Why should Rose get special treatment?
Matzomaster
This pardon is a victory for justice and common sense.