Christine Drews Sieger
Donald Trump announced in Texas that former baseball star Roger Clemens will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
During a campaign rally in Texas, Donald Trump announced that former baseball star Roger Clemens will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Donald Trump took the stage at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio on Wednesday night to rally support for Texas Republicans.
Former pitcher Roger Clemens stepped up to the microphone just minutes earlier to introduce the candidate, according to Fox News.
However, the rally took an unexpected turn when Trump interrupted the scheduled program to honor the seven-time Cy Young Award winner.
Trump announced to the crowd that Clemens will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, describing it as the nation’s highest civilian honor alongside the Medal of Honor.
Honors beyond career achievements
The unexpected announcement caught the 24-year baseball veteran off guard. Clemens walked back to the microphone to share his disbelief with the cheering crowd.
“Well, I’m stunned, No. 1,” Clemens told the audience. “Again, 24 years y’all – this supersedes obviously anything I’ve done in my playing career.”
He also made his gratitude toward the president clear right away, according to Fox News.
“To get it from this man, this president. There wouldn’t be another president I’d want to get it from,” he added.
Call for Hall of Fame induction
Before receiving the surprise tribute, Clemens praised Trump as a leader who puts the nation first.
Fox News reports that Trump returned the praise by referencing stats from the pitcher’s 24-year career on the mound.
The former pitcher remains outside the National Baseball Hall of Fame due to allegations of performance-enhancing drug use during the sport’s so-called ‘Steroid Era.’
During his speech, however, Trump renewed his call for the institution in Cooperstown to induct Clemens based on his 4,672 career strikeouts.
With a smile, Clemens noted that Trump’s detailed rundown of his career statistics almost made him consider stepping out of retirement:
“I guess I could come out of retirement again with all those stats he read off,” Clemens said, smiling.
The Hall of Fame question
Clemens’ exclusion from the Baseball Hall of Fame remains a significant part of his legacy.
Reuters reports that sportswriters have repeatedly kept him out of Cooperstown because of suspicions that he used performance-enhancing drugs.
Clemens has consistently denied the allegations and was acquitted in court of charges that he lied to Congress about the issue.
Trump’s renewed support for his Hall of Fame case therefore adds another layer to the recognition announced at the Texas rally.
