Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) penned a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Monday questioning if he would “end its engagement” with countries that do not hold democratic elections in the wake of the league’s decision to move the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta over Georgia’s new GOP-led voting law.
“I write to ask you whether you intend to maintain your membership at Augusta National Golf Club. As you are well aware, the exclusive members-only club is located in the State of Georgia,” Rubio wrote in a letter to Manfred. “It is a decision that will have a bigger impact on countless small and minority-owned businesses in and around Atlanta than the new election law ever will.”
Rubio slammed the head of MLB for its decision on “the basis of false information,” referring to the growing chorus of mass hysteria from Democrats who decided to negatively portray the Georgia law as a “voter suppression” bill, and “Jim Crow 2.0.”
On Friday, MLB announced it yanked the July 13 “Midsummer Classic” out of Atlanta — just two days after President Biden urged the boycott because the league “fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions at the ballot box.”
Biden told ESPN last week that he would “strongly support” the baseball league decision to pull the game, while falsely labeling Georgia’s new law as “Jim Crow in the 21st century.”
Georgia became the first battleground state to pass voting reform that makes it easier to vote, but harder to cheat. The new law includes enacts new identification requirements for voters requesting absentee ballots by providing their driver’s license number, the last four digits of their Social Security number, or a copy of some other accepted form of identification. To help ease the burden at overcrowded polling spots and encourage people to vote, the new law also extends early voting to 17 days and requiring that counties make two Saturdays “mandatory” open for early voting.
The Florida Senator stated the MLB move “reeks of hypocrisy,” pointing out that Manfred currently has a “lucrative financial relationship” with a company that has “deep ties to the Communist Party,” and questioned whether the MLB head would also “end its engagement with nations that do not hold elections.”
“Will Major League Baseball now end its engagement with nations that do not hold elections at all like China and Cuba? Will you end your lucrative financial relationship with Tencent, a company with deep ties to the Communist Party and actively helps the Chinese Government hunt down and silence political dissidents?” Rubio wrote.
“Since Major League Baseball now appears eager to use its “platform” to demonstrate “unwavering support” for fundamental human rights, will you cease your relationship with the Chinese Government, which at this very moment is committing genocide against the Uyghurs Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR)?” Rubio added.
Rubio predicted that MLB wouldn’t boycott China because it would “involve a significant loss of revenue,” arguing it’s easier to relocate the All-Star game than speaking out against countries that have a history of human rights violations.
“Taking the All-Star game out of Georgia is an easy way to signal virtues without significant financial fallout. But speaking out against the Chinese Communist Party would involve a significant loss of revenue and being closed out of a lucrative market,” Rubio wrote. “What would be truly bold, however, is if you would speak out on behalf of the voiceless who face arbitrary imprisonment, forced sterilization, coerced abortions, rape, and other horrific acts at the hands of one of your business partners.”
He added that he has “no illusion” that Manfred will end his membership at Augusta National because it would “require a personal sacrifice.”
“I am under no illusion that Major League Baseball will sacrifice business revenue on behalf of its alleged corporate values,” Rubio wrote. “Similarly, I am under no illusion you intend to resign as a member of Augusta National Golf Club. To do so would require a personal sacrifice, as opposed to the woke corporate virtue signaling of moving the All-Star Game from Atlanta.”
Rubio’s letter comes after former President Trump urged fans to boycott the “national pastime” who he said are “afraid of the Radical Left Democrats” over its decision to pull this year’s All-Star game.
“Boycott baseball,” Trump urged, in a statement issued from his Save America email Friday. “And all of the woke companies that are interfering with Free and Fair Elections. Are you listening Coke, Delta, and all!”
All Star GameAugustaAugusta National Golf ClubBaseballGeorgiaGeorgia Voting LawMLBMLB CommissionerPresident BidenPresident TrumpRob ManfredSen. Marco Rubio
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