Rob Drake, the Major League Baseball umpire who sparked an uproar over a tweet threatening civil war over the impeachment inquiry of President Trump, has apologized “to everyone that my words made feel less safe.”
Commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday the MLB was investigating a tweet posted by Mr. Drake a day earlier that read, “I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020.”
The Major League Umpires Association issued a statement condemning the tweet but praising Mr. Drake’s work with the association.
“Rob is a passionate individual and an outstanding umpire,” the statement read. “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.”
Mr. Drake, who has been an MLB umpire since 1999, deleted the tweet and deactivated his Twitter account amid the backlash. On Thursday, he issued a statement apologizing for appearing to make light of gun violence.
“I want to personally apologize to everyone that my words made feel less safe,” he wrote. “I especially want to apologize to every person who has been affected by gun violence in our country.
“I also acknowledge and apologize for the controversy this has brought to Major League Baseball, my fellow umpires and my family. I never intended to diminish the threat of violence from assault weapons, or violence of any kind,” he continued. “I’m going to learn from this. Once I read what I had tweeted I realized the violence in those words and have since deleted it. I know that I cannot unsay the words, but please accept my sincerest apologies.”
