President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will award former baseball pitcher Roger Clemens the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Clemens, a longtime friend of Trump who has played golf with the president, is regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history. But despite his career achievements, he has not been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, with his candidacy overshadowed by allegations that he used performance-enhancing drugs.
Clemens has repeatedly denied using performance-enhancing drugs. He was acquitted in 2012 of charges that he lied to Congress when he denied using steroids and human growth hormone.
Trump's announcement came during a political rally in Texas. Clemens, who played college and professional baseball in Texas, had earlier introduced Trump at the rally.
Trump questioned why Clemens had been denied the baseball honor and said he would compensate by awarding him the medal.
"Well, I'm stunned, number one," Clemens said after Trump called him back onstage, adding that if he was going to receive the award, he would want to receive it from Trump.
The president has broad discretion to award the medal, which has no formal nomination process or fixed presentation ceremony.
Clemens, who runs a charitable foundation, is known primarily for his accomplishments on the pitching mound. He won the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in his league seven times, more than any other player.
U.S. prosecutors brought a criminal case against Clemens stemming from his testimony before a congressional committee investigating the use of steroids, human growth hormone and other performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.
A baseball investigation headed by former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell cited testimony from a former trainer who said he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone. Clemens has consistently denied those allegations.
A federal grand jury indicted Clemens on two counts of perjury, three counts of making false statements and one count of obstruction of Congress stemming from his 2008 testimony.
His first trial ended in a mistrial after a judge found that prosecutors had introduced inadmissible evidence. A jury acquitted him on all six counts in a second trial.
