<p class="wp-block-paragraph">President Donald Trump announced on October 7, 2026, that he will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump made the announcement during a rally for Senate nominee Ken Paxton in Texas. Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series champion, introduced Trump at the San Antonio rally, praising the president as someone who prioritizes the country.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">After announcing the award, Trump described Clemens as someone who will “be in the Hall of Fame someday.” This announcement follows Trump's practice of awarding the medal to notable athletes, including Mariano Rivera and Babe Ruth.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“He deserves it. One of the greatest athletes and maybe the greatest pitcher of all time, and he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. But this is a big step up from the Hall of Fame. The Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump said.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="President Donald Trump greets Roger Clemens at a campaign rally at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026." class="wp-image-4758667" height="682" src="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AP26281035378569.jpg?w=696" width="1024" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">President Donald Trump greets Roger Clemens at a campaign rally at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)</figcaption></figure>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Clemens expressed his surprise at receiving the award, stating, “Twenty-four years, y’all. This supersedes anything that obviously I’ve done in my playing career, and to get it from this man, this president, that there wouldn’t be another president I’d want to get it from.”</p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://x.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@POTUS</a> announces that Roger Clemens will be awarded the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. <a href="https://t.co/8oTkjULPLt" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://t.co/8oTkjULPLt</a> <a href="https://t.co/ic3Whr1Y3g" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/ic3Whr1Y3g</a></p>— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2107997730274783597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">October 8, 2026</a></blockquote> </div></figure>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Clemens has previously denied allegations of using performance-enhancing drugs during his career. In 2012, a federal jury acquitted him on all counts after he was accused of lying to Congress about his alleged drug use.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump also referenced the allegations during the announcement, stating, “People talk drugs. He never admitted to anything. They have no information. They didn’t find anything.”</p>