On Tuesday, Major League Baseball umpire Rob Drake tweeted about the ongoing House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump and warned his followers that ‘cival war’ is imminent, should Trump be kicked out of office.
According to ESPN , the since-deleted tweet also revealed that Drake plans on purchasing an AR-15 rifle in the event of an impeachment, compelling the MLB to formally investigate the umpire’s claims.
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Drake, 50, made his MLB debut in 1999 and officially became a full-time umpire in 2010.
His first politicized tweet, which was obtained by ESPN prior to being deleted, read, “I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020.”
In a follow-up tweet, Drake claimed, “You can’t do an impeachment inquiry from the basement of Capital Hill without even a vote! What is going on in this country?”
Following the backlash from his tweets, Drake locked his Twitter account, though briefly unlocked it on Thursday to apologize.
He apologized to victims of gun violence, fellow umpires, and his own family, and also acknowledged that his words had caused a controversy for the MLB.
“I never intended to diminish the threat of violence from assault weapons, or violence of any kind,” he wrote. “I know that I cannot unsay the word, but please accept my apologies.”
Later, he deleted his Twitter account entirely.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed that they are now investigating Drake’s tweets.
In a statement posted to Facebook, the MLB Umpires Association said Drake chose the “wrong way” to express himself.
“Rob is a passionate individual and an outstanding umpire,” the post reads. “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.”
Prior to his account being deleted, USA Today managed to review his feed and discovered other right-wing content.
In one post , Drake branded Hilary Clinton a liar and demanded she reveal the truth about “#benghazzi.” In another, he claimed former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States.
There’s be no word yet on any disciplinary action taken against the longtime umpire.
