Trump questions state of MLB while renewing push for Roger Clemens' Hall of Fame induction

Major League Baseball is entering the final weeks of its regular season as labor talks between the league and the MLB Players Association reportedly remain stalled, creating uncertainty ahead of the playoffs.

The current agreement between the two sides is set to expire on Dec. 1. If they do not reach a new deal by then, a lockout could follow. In July, ESPN reported that the sides’ fundamental disagreement centers on the league’s pursuit of a salary cap system. The union likely prefers to preserve the current system, and neither side appeared willing to move from its position.

President Donald Trump has frequently weighed in on sports during his second term. In March, he convened the "Saving College Sports" roundtable, which brought together conference leaders, former coaches and media executives to discuss challenges posed by name, image and likeness deals, the transfer portal and the future of the NCAA.

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Last month, during MLB All-Star weekend, commissioner Rob Manfred was asked whether he had any sense of whether President Donald Trump might intervene in the league’s labor negotiations.

Manfred said at the time he did not want to "speculate" about Trump's potential involvement.

"Look, I think it would be wildly, wildly inappropriate for me to speculate what the President of the United States might do or not do in a hypothetical situation," Manfred said. "We know this. He's a great sports fan, and he is really knowledgeable about the business of sports, so it doesn't surprise me."

Manfred did say, however, that Trump was "interested."

Beyond labor negotiations, Trump has also repeatedly pushed for seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens’ induction into the Hall of Fame. In a Truth Social post Wednesday, Trump cited Clemens’ career achievements and criticized Hall of Fame voters over his exclusion.

"How about Roger Clemens not being in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, all because a bunch of jealous people with far less Talent, voted that he shouldn't be there," Trump wrote. "He was also not convicted, or admitted, to taking Drugs. Roger is easily one of the few Greatest Pitchers of All Time, winning 354 Games, 7 Cy Young Awards (A Record, by 3!), and played in three World Series, winning two! He was third in most Strike-Outs."

Trump then turned his attention to Manfred, claiming the commissioner had told him he would approve Pete Rose’s reinstatement but waited until after Rose’s death to do so. "The Commissioner told me he was going to approve Pete Rose, but he waited long enough until Pete died."

Last year, Manfred announced that Rose, who died in 2024, and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson would be reinstated, which made both eligible for Hall of Fame consideration.

Trump concluded by questioning the state of the sport. "No wonder Baseball is in trouble!"

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Almost exactly one year ago, on Aug. 24, Trump said he had played golf with Clemens and his son, Kacy. The president then backed Clemens’ Hall of Fame candidacy, writing that the former Boston Red Sox pitcher "should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame, NOW!"

Clemens responded on X, writing, "I appreciate the love! DT knows more than anyone the fake news that’s out there. Everyone has their agendas… I played the game to change my family’s direction generationally and to WIN!"

Clemens’ 10-year run on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot ended in 2022, when he received support from 65.2% of voters, short of the 75% threshold required for election to the Hall of Fame.