NEW YORK CITY (TND) — Former New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera endorsed former President Donald Trump for the White House on Friday.
Rivera disclosed in an interview with Sid & Friends In The Morning he would support Trump’s presidential bid given their friendship.
He’s my friend. I can’t deny that. I will tell that to anyone,” the former pitcher noted. “Before he was the president, he was my friend, and because he’s my friend, I’m gonna root for him.”Rivera agreed with host Sid Rosenberg things would become ugly if the former president lost the election and expressed the need for Trump to win.
“I’m not a politician. I’ll tell you that right now. I’m not going for the right or the left. I’m always going for whoever is doing the right thing for the country,” the former pitcher said.
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Trump bestowed Rivera the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019 for his Hall-of-Fame career and charitable contributions to impoverished communities. The former pitcher remembered the ceremony positively.
“Having [received] the Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump was amazing. It was an amazing moment," he recalled. “Receiving that medal was special.”
Rivera was inducted unanimously into the Baseball Hall of Fame two months prior to receiving the Medal of Freedom. Following The Daily Beast's publication of an article in July discussing the former pitcher’s support for conservative politicians, Rivera affirmed his support for Trump.
As he’s president, I will turn my back on him? No. I’m not,” the former pitcher told FOX News. “I respect him. I respect why he does it, and I believe that he’s doing the best for the United States of America.”Rivera also maintained his support for Israel, according to The Daily Beast.
“As a Christian, my savior, Jesus Christ – he’s a Jew. So, how am I gonna turn my back and say, ‘I won’t support Israel?’” the former pitcher said. “My message to the writer is: ‘You have the power to say whatever you want to say, but that won’t change my position. That won’t change my belief.’”
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