MLB Investigating Longtime Umpire Over Trump Civil War Tweet
Major League Baseball umpire Rob Drake is under fire for a tweet in which he suggested there could be a civil war if President Donald Trump is impeached.
ESPN was the first outlet to report on the substance of Drake’s Tuesday tweet, which he has since deleted.
The MLB umpires union acknowledged the tweet was in fact from Drake, while MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday the league would be investigating the matter.
The tweet referenced House Democrats’ ongoing impeachment inquiry, which has been criticized by Trump and Republican lawmakers.
Major league umpire Rob Drake tweeted “I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020”, according to a copy of the tweet obtained by ESPN. MLB says it is aware of it. News: https://t.co/Qf7VMAXEoJ
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 23, 2019
“I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020,” Drake tweeted.
According to ESPN, that post followed another one from earlier in the night that read: “You can’t do an impeachment inquiry from the basement of Capital Hill without even a vote! What is going on in this country?”
The MLB Umpires Association did not deny that Drake had posted the controversial tweets.
“The #MLBUA is aware of Rob Drake’s posting on social media earlier today,” the union said in a statement Wednesday.
“Rob is a passionate individual and an outstanding umpire,” the union added.
“He chose the wrong way to convey his opinion about our great country. His posting does not represent the view of the MLBUA or reflect those of the umpires we represent.”
According to USA Today, Drake has previously posted tweets criticizing former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Drake, 50, became a major league umpire in 2010.
He has worked various playoff games since then, as well as the 2013 All-Star Game and the 2017 World Baseball Classic, according to his bio on MLB.com.
Drake, who co-founded a professional umpire ministry — Calling For Christ — is an Arizona resident.
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