Politics

Trump Pardons Darryl Strawberry: How the Former MLB Star Earned Clemency

Trump pardoned Darryl Strawberry for 1995 tax evasion. Strawberry thanked Trump. This is Trump’s second clemency for an “Apprentice” alum.

byEditorial Staff

November 7, 2025, 5:51 PM

President Donald Trump sits at a table in the Roosevelt Room with his hands clasped, looking upward during a meeting.

President Trump at the White House discussing his new AI plan and other key national issues. By YousufDean / Shutterstock.com.

Executive Summary

President Donald Trump granted clemency to former MLB star Darryl Strawberry for a 1995 tax evasion charge.

The pardon was attributed to Strawberry’s fulfillment of his sentence, repayment of back taxes, and commitment to sobriety and establishing a recovery center.

Trump has significantly increased his use of clemency powers in his second term, including pardoning over 1,000 individuals connected to January 6 and other allies.

The Story So Far

President Trump has a notable history of granting clemency, significantly increasing its use in his second term for a diverse group of individuals, including those with past legal issues like Darryl Strawberry, who had pleaded guilty to tax evasion and violated probation. This pattern extends to figures associated with his reality show, January 6 defendants, and political allies, with the White House maintaining that clemency decisions undergo a thorough review process.

Why This Matters

President Donald Trump’s pardon of Darryl Strawberry for a 1995 tax evasion charge not only provides the former baseball star with full legal relief and acknowledges his rehabilitation efforts, but also underscores a broader pattern of Trump’s increased use of clemency powers during his second term, often extended to individuals with personal connections or political alliances.

Who Thinks What?

President Donald Trump’s administration justified the pardon of Darryl Strawberry based on his fulfillment of his sentence, repayment of back taxes, and his subsequent commitment to sobriety and establishing a recovery center, stating that clemency decisions undergo a “thorough review process.”

Darryl Strawberry expressed gratitude to President Trump for the full pardon, recounting a personal phone call from Trump informing him of the decision.

President Donald Trump has granted clemency to former Major League Baseball star Darryl Strawberry for a 1995 tax evasion charge. The pardon, announced on November 7, 2025, was attributed by a White House official to Strawberry’s fulfillment of his sentence, repayment of back taxes, and his subsequent commitment to sobriety and establishing a recovery center in Florida.

Strawberry’s Legal History and Reaction

Strawberry, who played for prominent teams including the New York Mets and New York Yankees, pleaded guilty to tax evasion in 1995. This plea allowed him to avoid a trial on three tax-related counts that could have resulted in a fifteen-year prison sentence.

Following the announcement, Strawberry expressed his gratitude to Trump in an Instagram post. He recounted a phone call with the President, during which Trump reportedly praised his baseball career before informing him of the full pardon.

Beyond the tax evasion case, Strawberry had a separate encounter with the legal system. In 2002, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for violating his probation stemming from drug and solicitation of prostitution charges, serving 11 months of that sentence.

Broader Context of Clemency Actions

The pardon for Strawberry marks the second time Trump has granted clemency to an alum of his former reality show, “The Celebrity Apprentice.” Previously, Trump pardoned former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich in February.

Trump has notably increased his use of clemency powers in his second term. This includes pardoning over 1,000 individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and commuting the sentence of former GOP Representative George Santos, among other allies.

The President recently faced scrutiny during a “60 Minutes” interview regarding his pardon of Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao on a money laundering charge. Trump stated he did not know Zhao personally, while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated a “thorough review process” by the Department of Justice and White House Counsel’s office precedes clemency recommendations.