Trump Backs Pete Rose’s Hall of Fame Bid as MLB Lifts Ban Posthumously

The debate over Pete Rose’s Baseball Hall of Fame eligibility reignited after his passing last year, with one high-profile voice—President Donald Trump—championing his cause. On Wednesday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred revealed that Trump’s support was among several factors that led to Rose’s removal from the ineligible list in May, opening the door for his potential induction into Cooperstown.

Manfred’s decision followed a formal application by Rose’s family, prompting MLB to address an unprecedented issue: what happens when a permanently banned individual dies? Manfred concluded that ineligibility should end upon death, a policy shift that could reshape how baseball handles its most controversial figures. Rose, who died at 83 from heart disease, had been barred since 1989 for gambling on games, a charge he admitted to in 2004 after years of denial.

Trump, never one to shy away from a bold stance, took to Truth Social in March, decrying MLB’s failure to honor Rose during his lifetime. He called Rose ‘Charlie Hustle’, praising his unmatched hit record and arguing that Rose’s bets—always on his Reds to win—didn’t warrant a lifelong ban. Trump even pledged a posthumous pardon, a symbolic gesture to clear Rose’s path to the Hall. The two met in April to discuss the issue, a conversation Manfred acknowledged but insisted wasn’t the sole driver of his decision.

Rose’s legacy remains a lightning rod. His 4,256 hits and relentless hustle made him a Cincinnati Reds icon, yet his gambling scandal cast a long shadow. Ten days before his death, Rose predicted he’d only enter the Hall posthumously—if at all. With Manfred’s policy change, that prediction may come true, but it raises deeper questions about redemption, legacy, and baseball’s moral compass.