President Donald Trump experienced a hectic Friday. Following a verbal confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House Oval Office alongside Vice President JD Vance, the former casino mogul took to social media to express his views on why he believes Major League Baseball wronged the late Pete Rose. 

Rose, who passed away in September at 83 years old, was permanently barred from baseball in 1989 following an MLB inquiry that concluded he unlawfully bet on games in which he participated as a player and coach. Since sports betting was mostly illegal outside of Nevada back then, Rose relied on underground bookmakers. 

In his autobiography, My Prison Without Bars, Rose later conceded that he did place bets on games in which he participated. The game's all-time hits leader asserted that he never wagered against himself or his team, which means he did not fix games or attempt to adversely affect them and compromise the integrity of the sport. 

Rose’s continuous requests for reinstatement, essential for his induction into Cooperstown’s National Baseball Hall of Fame, were rejected by MLB commissioners, with Rob Manfred being the most recent in 2015. Rose, who claimed he kept wagering on sports, including baseball, until his passing, died at his residence in Las Vegas on September 30. 

Trump's Clemency 

Trump strangely used his Truth Social media platform on Friday night to express his views about the man fondly referred to as “Charlie Hustle” for his relentless determination and competitive spirit. With sports betting allowed in all but 11 states, and MLB choosing not to punish star Shohei Ohtani for not understanding that his interpreter had bet away tens of millions of his money on sports, Trump claims it's time for Rose's record to be erased.

"Major League Baseball didn’t have the courage or decency to put the late, great, Pete Rose … into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Now he is dead, will never experience the thrill of being selected, even though he was a far better player than most of those who made it and can only be named posthumously,” Trump wrote.

“What a shame! Anyway, 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 continued.

The president highlighted that Rose holds the career records for hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), and singles (3,215). 

“Baseball, which is dying all over the place, should get off its fat, lazy ass, and elect Pete Rose into the Baseball Hall of Fame!” the president concluded.

Was Pete Rose Found Guilty of a Crime? 

Rose was never found guilty of illegal gambling by a court of law. Nevertheless, he received a five-month sentence in a low-security federal prison in 1990 for submitting a fraudulent income tax return. He acknowledged that he failed to report his gambling income and profits from autograph sales. 

Trump can only grant pardons for federal crimes. He cannot unilaterally compel MLB to reinstate Rose, nor command that the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA), which decides on Hall of Fame induction, accept Rose. 

The BBWAA guidelines forbid voting for “any player on Baseball’s ineligible list.”