On August 23, 2025, the rolling greens of a private golf course became the unlikely setting for a renewed debate about one of baseball’s most controversial Hall of Fame omissions. Former President Donald Trump teed off with Roger Clemens and his son, Kacy, but it wasn’t just a friendly round of golf. By the following day, Trump had taken to his social media platform, Truth Social, to launch a passionate campaign urging Clemens’ immediate induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The post set off a flurry of discussion across the baseball world, reigniting old arguments and shining a spotlight on the enduring legacy—and controversy—of one of MLB’s greatest pitchers.
Trump’s post was nothing if not emphatic. “I played Golf yesterday with the Great Roger Clemens and his son, Kacy. Roger Clemens was easily one of the few Greatest Pitchers of All Time, winning 354 Games, the Cy Young Award seven times (A Record, by a lot!), and played in six World Series, winning two!” he wrote. “He was second to Nolan Ryan in most strike-outs, and he should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame, NOW!” Trump’s praise didn’t stop at statistics. He took direct aim at the cloud of suspicion that has hovered over Clemens for years, declaring, “People think he took drugs, but nothing was proven. He never tested positive, and Roger, from the very beginning, totally denies it. He was just as great before those erroneous charges were leveled at him. That rumor has gone on for years, and there has been no evidence whatsoever that he was a ‘druggie.’”
For those who have followed Clemens’ career, the numbers are staggering. Over 24 seasons, Clemens racked up 354 wins, a record seven Cy Young Awards, and 4,672 strikeouts—trailing only Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson in the all-time rankings. He played for the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Astros, appearing in six World Series and winning two championships. An 11-time All-Star, Clemens is, by almost any statistical measure, one of the greatest pitchers ever to step onto the mound.
Yet, for all his on-field achievements, Clemens’ Hall of Fame candidacy has been dogged by allegations of performance-enhancing drug (PED) use. The 2007 Mitchell Report, an explosive investigation into steroid use in baseball, named Clemens among those alleged to have used anabolic steroids. Clemens has always maintained his innocence and was acquitted in 2012 on six counts of felony perjury, false statements, and obstruction of Congress related to his testimony about steroid use. “He’s never tested positive, and Roger, from the very beginning, totally denies it,” Trump reiterated in his post.
Despite the acquittal, the suspicion has been enough to keep Clemens out of Cooperstown. From his first appearance on the ballot in 2013 to his final year of eligibility in 2022, Clemens consistently fell short of the 75% threshold needed for induction. His support peaked at 65.2% in 2022, before he fell off the ballot. Now, his only path to baseball’s highest honor is through the Today’s Game Committee, which considers players whose candidacies have expired with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Trump’s intervention drew comparisons to the saga of Pete Rose, another all-time great whose Hall of Fame hopes were derailed by scandal. Rose, who amassed over 4,000 hits, was banned from baseball for betting on games and was only reinstated by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred after his death in September 2024. Trump’s post was pointed: “This is going to be like Pete Rose where, after over 4,000 Hits, they wouldn’t put him in the Hall of Fame until I spoke to the Commissioner, and he promised to do so, but it was essentially a promise not kept because he only ‘opened it up’ when Pete died and, even then, he said that Pete Rose only got into the mix because of DEATH. We are not going to let that happen in the case of Roger Clemens. 354 Wins — Put him in NOW. He and his great family should not be forced to endure this ‘stupidity’ any longer!”
Reactions to Trump’s post were swift. Clemens himself weighed in on social media, expressing gratitude for the support: “I appreciate the love! DT knows more than anyone the fake news that’s out there,” Clemens wrote. “Everyone has their agendas… I played the game to change my family’s direction generationally and to WIN!” It was a rare public acknowledgment from Clemens, who has generally kept a low profile regarding the Hall of Fame debate in recent years.
But not everyone is convinced that Clemens’ case is as clear-cut as Trump suggests. Two former federal authorities involved in the BALCO steroids trafficking case, Matt Parrella and Jeff Novitzky, have maintained that the evidence of Clemens’ PED use is overwhelming. Parrella told Forbes in 2020, “The only question is, did they use steroids? The evidence is incontrovertible. It’s scientifically certain, and corroborated by the surrounding facts and circumstances.” Novitzky, who led the BALCO investigation, said, “We had DNA evidence in the Clemens case, with Clemens’ DNA and an anabolic steroid within a needle that was used to inject him.” The accusations, though never proven in a court of law, continue to divide fans and voters alike.
The debate over Clemens’ Hall of Fame credentials is emblematic of a broader reckoning in baseball. The so-called “Steroid Era” has left a generation of stars—Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and others—on the outside looking in, their achievements tarnished by association, if not by direct evidence. For some, the Hall of Fame is a shrine to the game’s purest achievements, and any hint of cheating is enough to disqualify a candidate. For others, the numbers speak for themselves, and the Hall is incomplete without its most dominant players of the era.
The comparison to Pete Rose only heightens the drama. Rose’s lifetime ban was a cautionary tale about the consequences of breaking baseball’s most sacred rules. Yet, his posthumous reinstatement has raised questions about whether baseball’s guardians are willing to reconsider the legacies of players whose greatness is undeniable, but whose reputations are complicated.
As of now, Clemens’ fate rests with the Today’s Game Committee, a panel that has shown itself to be more open to reconsidering controversial cases. Whether Trump’s high-profile advocacy will sway the committee—or the wider baseball community—remains to be seen. What’s clear is that the debate is far from over, and the question of how to judge the stars of baseball’s most tumultuous era will continue to spark passionate arguments for years to come.
For now, Roger Clemens remains on the outside of Cooperstown, his legacy as complex as the era in which he played. With supporters like Donald Trump in his corner, the push for his Hall of Fame induction is once again front and center, ensuring that baseball’s reckoning with its past is anything but settled.
