President Trump announces former MLB player Roger Clemens will receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Donald Trump announced during a rally in Texas on Wednesday night that former Major League Baseball pitcher Roger Clemens will be awarded the nation's highest honor: The Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Clemens, who played in the sport for over 20 years for teams that include the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, introduced Trump at the San Antonio rally. He garnered the president's support for Clemens to be inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame.

The former major league pitcher was accused of lying to Congress about using performance-enhancing drugs in 2008, but was acquitted in 2012.

Trump said that he and Clemens play golf together and that the former sports star was an "incredible guy," and that he had offered to call the MLB commissioner to try to get him inducted.

"So tonight we're going to take it into our own hands," Trump said. "Forget about the Hall of Fame, he'll get there someday. I mean I don't know how they can keep him out. But tonight I'm announcing that Roger Clemens is being given the single highest [civilian] award ...  We're giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

"Along with the Congressional Medal of Honor, it is the highest award bestowed upon anyone," he continued. "So Roger, come up here. He deserves it. One of the greatest athletes and maybe the greatest pitcher of all time. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, but this is a big step up from the Hall of Fame. Thank you, Roger." 

Clemens thanked the president and said he was "stunned" by the honor, and said it "supersedes anything obviously I've done in my playing career."

"To get it from this man, this president, there wouldn't be another I'd want to get it from," Clemens said. 

The president did not specify when the award would be presented.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.