A retired Major League Baseball player has endorsed former president and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election.
Mariano Rivera, a Hall of Fame pitcher who played for the Yankees for 19 seasons between 1995 and 2013, publicly shared his support of the Republican during an interview with Sid Rosenberg on his WABC radio show, “Sid & Friends.” During the recent episode, the baseball star agreed with the host’s assessment that the nation should be under Trump’s leadership instead of another four years with his Democrat opponent, President Joe Biden.
Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera has endorsed President Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/ynbAFEIBWo
— Nick Adams (Alpha Male) (@NickAdamsinUSA) April 8, 2024
Rivera said that he is “not a politician” and has never identified himself as “for the Right or the Left,” but rather has approached politics as simply supporting the candidate who is doing “the right thing for the country.” The retired pitcher added that he “can’t deny” that he considers Trump “my friend,” a fact that he is not afraid of sharing with people.
Rivera also specified that the two were friends “before he was the president,” citing this relationship as the reason why he is “going to vote for him.” Previously, in 2020, the pitcher was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then commander-in-chief Trump.
The highest civilian honor, instituted in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy, was given to Rivera in light of his professional baseball achievements as well as his work with the Mariano Rivera Foundation, which provides educational opportunities for children in need.
Following the support on the radio show, Trump shared a brief recording of Rivera’s comments on his Truth Social platform, including the caption, “THANK YOU SID, AND MARIANO RIVERA!” Rosenberg had prefaced the endorsement with his own support of the GOP candidate, saying that he believed Trump needed “to win” the election or else “it could be very, very ugly.”
As it stands, American voters are anticipating the all-but-official rematch between Trump and Biden. The GOP candidate is the last remaining in the party’s primary and his Democrat opponent has garnered significant support over others on the left who have placed a bid for the White House.
According to recent polls, however, Trump is leading in six of the seven swing states, including Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia. The two candidates are effectively tied in Wisconsin.
