Former New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera has endorsed former President Donald Trump for the 2024 White House race, saying he believes President Trump will lead the United States in the right direction.
The 54-year-old Hall of Famer announced his endorsement during an appearance on WABC radio’s “Sid & Friends” on April 7, agreeing with host Sid Rosenberg that he’s voting for the former commander-in-chief because things could get “very, very ugly” if President Joe Biden gets elected to a second term.
“I’m not a politician, I'll tell you that right now. I’m not going for the right or the left. I always go for whoever is doing the right thing for the country,” Mr. Rivera said.
Mr. Rivera, who served on the Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission during the Trump administration, added that President Trump is his friend, and their friendship predates his 2016 presidency.
“He’s my friend. I can’t deny that. I will tell that to anyone. Before he was the president, he was my friend. Because he’s my friend, I’m going to vote for him,” he said.
The interview in which Mr. Rivera formally declared his support for President Trump was shared on the former president’s social media platform, Truth Social.
Besides serving in the Trump administration, Mr. Rivera was also awarded the Medal of Freedom at the White House in 2019, becoming the 13th baseball player to receive the highest civilian award in the United States.
I’ve been “given the Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump ... It was an amazing moment,” Mr. Rivera told Mr. Rosenberg. “Receiving that medal was special.”
When President Trump presented Mr. Rivera with the medal, he praised the relief pitcher for being “a humble man guided by a deep Christian faith” and called him “maybe the greatest pitcher of all time.”
President Trump, a long-time Yankees fan, also touted Mr. Rivera’s work on providing scholarships for hundreds of underprivileged children and building a learning and community center in New Rochelle, New York.
“After retiring from baseball, Mariano and his wife built an evangelical church, and today Clara is its pastor. I’m going to have to come to listen to you sometime. I could use it,” President Trump said, provoking laughter in the crowd.
The Medal of Freedom is bestowed to Americans who’ve made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors,” according to the White House.
A two-time All-Star and seven-time World Series champion, Mr. Rivera posted a record 652 saves with a win-loss mark of 82-60 in 19 Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2019 and remains the only player in baseball history to be unanimously elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Mr. Rivera’s latest pledge of support adds another famous face to President Trump’s list of endorsements. Other notable individuals who’ve thrown their weight behind the former president include comedian Roseanne Barr, actor Dean Cain, and rapper Kodak Black.
Besides celebrities, President Trump has racked up 293 noteworthy endorsements from House representatives, senators, and state governors.
