Trump Awards Roger Clemens Medal of Freedom
President Donald Trump closed out his Wednesday night rally in San Antonio with a surprise that had the crowd roaring: baseball legend Roger Clemens is set to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Trump called Clemens to the stage at Freeman Coliseum — in the pitcher’s home state of Texas — and told the packed arena that one of the greatest arms the game has ever seen was finally getting the recognition he deserved.
A Big Step Up From the Hall of Fame
Clemens had introduced Trump earlier in the evening before returning to the stage wearing a blue USA baseball cap. Trump praised him as “one of the greatest athletes and maybe the greatest pitcher of all time,” then made the announcement official.
“He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, but this is a big step up from the Hall of Fame,” Trump said. “Along with the congressional Medal of Honor, it’s the highest award bestowed upon anyone.”
Clemens, visibly moved, told the crowd he was “stunned” and that the honor “supersedes anything that I’ve done in my playing career.” He added that there was no other president he would have wanted to receive it from, calling Trump “a winner” as the arena cheered.
A Career Worth Celebrating
Few resumes in baseball history match Clemens’. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner piled up 354 victories and 4,672 strikeouts with a 3.12 ERA over 24 seasons, starring for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and his home-state Houston Astros. He won the 1983 College World Series with the University of Texas before becoming one of the most dominant power pitchers the sport has ever produced.
Trump also pushed back on the steroid allegations that kept Clemens out of Cooperstown, noting that the pitcher denied the claims, testified before Congress, and was acquitted on all counts after a federal grand jury indicted him. “He’s just a physical monster,” Trump said. “He was known for two things as a pitcher: power and accuracy.”
That drew a good-natured correction from Clemens, who joked that he didn’t actually lead the league in hit batters — “when you let it go inside, it’s the hitter’s job to get out of the way” — bringing laughs from the crowd.
A Tradition of Honoring Baseball Greats
Trump has made a habit of celebrating baseball royalty. He previously awarded the medal posthumously to Babe Ruth and Elvis Presley in 2018, and honored sports stars including Tiger Woods, Bob Cousy, and Roger Staubach. He also championed Pete Rose’s Hall of Fame cause, calling Rose “Charlie Hustle” and criticizing that eligibility was only restored after Rose’s death.
Other baseball greats to receive the Medal of Freedom include Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, and Hank Aaron — a list Clemens now joins.
Conclusion
With one announcement, Trump turned a midterm rally into a celebration of American sports history — and gave a Texas legend a moment his home-state crowd will not forget. For Clemens, the medal is something no Hall of Fame ballot could ever deliver.
