Trump Pledges Medal of Freedom for Clemens

President Donald Trump announced on Oct. 7, 2026, at a San Antonio Freeman Coliseum rally for GOP Senate candidate Ken Paxton that Roger Clemens would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner and 11-time All-Star who introduced Trump, returned onstage and said the honor superseded his playing career, that he would want it from no other president, and that he was stunned. Trump said that after golf with Clemens he found the Hall of Fame exclusion ridiculous, noting seven Cy Young awards. Trump said people talk drugs but Clemens never admitted to anything and they found nothing. Clemens was named in the 2007 Mitchell Report; former Yankees trainer Brian McNamee stated he injected Clemens with steroids in 1998, 2000, and 2001; former teammates Jose Canseco, Andy Pettitte, and Jason Grimsley also claimed knowledge of use. Clemens has denied PED use and was found not guilty of lying to Congress in 2008. He corrected Trump's claim that he led MLB in hit batters. A White House press office email later said Trump meant the Medal of Honor, not the Medal of Freedom, and that no award was presented at the rally. Trump departed Marine One at 12:22 AM ET without taking questions. Which honor, if any, will be given remains unresolved.