Trump Defends Roger Clemens, Sparking Online Scrutiny of His Childhood Story

August 29, 2026

Throughout the summer, Donald Trump has been positioning himself at every major sporting event across the globe.

This season he turned up at the NBA Finals, the FIFA World Cup, and even hosted a high-profile UFC event at the White House.

He also stepped onto the scene at the Ryder Cup, attended several premier golf events, and ceremoniously waved the green flag at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington.

trump baseball claims, childhood story
Donald Trump blasted baseball officials for denying Roger Clemens a Hall of Fame spot, prompting critics to revisit the president’s own questionable baseball claims. (Photo by HASNOOR HUSSAIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Now Trump has shifted gears to a new sport, and he did not hold back.

On Wednesday, Aug. 26, he blasted the voters responsible for keeping legendary pitcher Roger Clemens out of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

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“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 on Truth Social early Wednesday afternoon.

Trump highlighted Clemens’ 354 wins, seven Cy Young Awards, three World Series appearances and two championships.

He also noted Clemens’ 2012 acquittal on charges of lying to Congress about alleged performance-enhancing drug use.

“Roger is easily one of the few Greatest Pitchers of All Time,” Trump still declared. He closed out his argument with, “No wonder Baseball is in trouble!”

Clemens pitched 24 seasons for the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Houston Astros.

But allegations of steroid and human growth hormone use have trailed “The Rocket” ever since the 2007 Mitchell Report — a sprawling investigation led by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball — named him.

Clemens denied using performance-enhancing drugs during congressional testimony in 2008. Two years later, he was indicted on charges including perjury and obstruction of Congress. A jury acquitted him on all counts.

However, this isn’t the first time Trump has gone to bat for Clemens.

Back in December, according to Reuters, he urged the Hall’s Contemporary Baseball Era Committee to “do the right thing.” Clemens still received fewer than five votes. He needed 12 for induction.

That committee is Clemens’ only shot at the Hall of Fame after he never garnered enough votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in the years he was eligible on the traditional ballot.

Facebook users were not exactly lining up for a Trump-Clemens victory parade.

“Baseball In trouble lol no it’s the republicans that are in trouble,” one person joked.

Other critics zeroed in on the allegations that have followed Clemens for nearly two decades. “Pathetically obvious why he thinks all well known cheaters should still be lauded as great people,” one person said.

Two others said, “Cheaters recognize cheaters!!!” and “Clemens cheated. He DOES NOT belong in the HOF!” another declared.

One commenter thought Trump’s energy was better spent elsewhere. “Trump probably believes he deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame too,” someone quipped.

That joke didn’t come out of nowhere.

Trump has spent years painting himself as a baseball phenom. He suggests his decision to pursue real estate may have cost the major leagues a future superstar.

During a Jan. 20 White House briefing, Trump reminisced about playing Little League near Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens.

“I was quite the baseball player. You wouldn’t believe it,” Trump said. He went on to say his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, was convinced he had a real shot at the majors.

Mothers, of course, have been inflating scouting reports since kids first picked up bats.

Trump told MTV back in 2010 that he captained his baseball team. He said he was “supposed to be a professional baseball player” before real estate got in the way, the Business Insider reported.

By 2013, he tweeted, “I played football and baseball, sorry, but said to be the best bball player in N.Y. State-ask coach Ted Dobias-said best he ever coached.”

Trump played baseball for three years at New York Military Academy. But his most widely remembered ceremonial pitch didn’t exactly scream Cy Young.

Photos from a 2006 Yankees-Red Sox game at Fenway Park caught Trump wearing an awkward grimace mid-throw. It looked less like a former baseball sensation and more like a man wrestling with an invisible fitted sheet.

Clemens will have to wait until at least 2031 for another Hall of Fame committee review. Trump, meanwhile, remains in the dugout of his imagination. He keeps polishing his own imaginary baseball card. And praying that people will really believe he is an authority in the game.

Danielle Brooks

I am a staff writer at New York Beacon, where I focus on culture, entrepreneurship, and the emerging voices redefining Black America. My work highlights innovators, artists, and founders whose stories often unfold beyond mainstream headlines but shape communities in meaningful ways. Through precise reporting and thoughtful storytelling, I aim to document progress, challenge narratives, and contribute to a stronger Black press tradition.