Trump Says He Is Open to Pardoning Pete Rose
The president said he would consider a pardon for the former Reds star, who was banned from baseball in 1986 over sports betting.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Baseball
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President Donald Trump said he is open to pardoning Pete Rose, the former Cincinnati Reds star banned from baseball in 1986 after it was found he had bet on his own teams and others in the league. Trump made the remarks to reporters at the White House.
Why it matters
A pardon would revisit one of baseball's most consequential disciplinary decisions, which still bars Rose from Hall of Fame induction. The comments also come as attention on betting rules in professional sports continues to grow.
Rose finished his career with 4,200 hits, which Trump called unbreakable, and the ban imposed in 1986 has remained in place for about 40 years. Whether a pardon would alter Rose's Hall of Fame eligibility has not been addressed.
The players
Pete Rose
Former Cincinnati Reds infielder and MLB career hits leader whose 1986 ban for sports betting remains a defining controversy in baseball history.
Donald Trump
The current President of the United States, who made the remarks about a possible pardon at the White House.
The details
Trump asked reporters why Rose would need a pardon, and a reporter clarified that Rose faced tax charges. Trump said Rose was very mistreated and recalled that Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti had agreed to put Rose into the Hall of Fame before Rose died.
Timeline
1986: Rose banned from baseball after betting discovery
- 2026-11-09
Trump says he is open to pardoning Rose
Hall of Fame Precedent
Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti's lifetime ban of Rose set the disciplinary standard that still governs the question of his Hall of Fame eligibility. Trump's comments invite a reconsideration of that precedent, which Trump said Giamatti had partly intended to reverse before Rose died.
Any pardon would not automatically change Rose's eligibility, which remains governed by the Hall of Fame's rules and the league's ban. Current Major League Baseball players are barred from betting on baseball games but may bet on other sports.
The takeaway
The debate over Rose shows how a single disciplinary decision can shape a player's legacy long after the fact. Readers following baseball should watch whether any formal pardon process follows these remarks.
Further reading
For more background on the league's betting rules, see Baseball coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mediaite.
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Should a president pardon athletes who were banned for gambling on their own games?
