Vice President JD Vance and leading Senate Republicans are firing back at Major League Baseball after the league issued warnings to three San Francisco Giants pitchers for writing Bible verse references on their team-issued “Pride Night” caps during Friday’s game against the Chicago Cubs.
Pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker each inscribed references to Genesis 9:12-16 — the passage describing God’s covenant with Noah and the rainbow as its sign — on their rainbow-logo caps.
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MLB’s chief communications officer Pat Courtney confirmed the league’s response: “The writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations.”
Vice President Vance mocked the decision on X, stating bluntly, “Trump won we don’t have to do this anymore.”
His remark quickly went viral, underscoring growing frustration with what conservatives view as selective enforcement against Christian expression.
Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a formal letter to MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred demanding answers.
Hawley expressed concern over what he called a “pattern of discrimination” against players of faith.
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“You must answer for what appears to be a pattern of discrimination within MLB against baseball players who profess their Christian faith,” Hawley wrote.
The GOP senator questioned the league’s antitrust exemption and its promotion of certain messages while penalizing others.
Other Republicans echoed the outrage.
Critics argued MLB happily promotes Pride messaging but cracks down on players quietly referencing Scripture — especially one tying the rainbow to God’s promise rather than modern activism.
Roupp later explained his choice: “It’s just about God’s covenant and a promise that he makes to us… I’m thankful we live in a country where we have the freedom to believe what we want and express what we want.”
Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford said, “MLB needs to fix the contradiction: a pride flag is fine, but a Bible verse gets a warning? Faith isn’t a violation. Treat it that way.”
Alabama GOP Sen. Katie Britt wrote on X, “Let me get this straight, [MLB] teams can host ‘pride night’ but players wearing bible verses is an issue?”
🚨 NOW: The MLB is facing an investigation from Florida’s Attorney General after they CRACKED DOWN on the Christian faith when players put a Bible verse on their “LGBT pride” caps
MLB is facing HUGE BACKLASH: “Senator Josh Hawley’s written a letter to Major League Baseball… pic.twitter.com/Ey5ClrF3Ol
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 17, 2026
Trump won we don’t have to do this anymore https://t.co/Dsl5DH2obf
— JD Vance (@JDVance) June 16, 2026
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier also fired off a major response of his own.
“Do you practice religious discrimination in Florida, @MLB? You’ll be hearing from my office soon,” Uthmeier declared.
Uthmeier’s answer suggests his office may be looking into more, adding to the legal challenges and investigations into major sports leagues in Florida.
Earlier this year, the attorney general issued a similar subpoena to the NFL as part of an investigation into the league’s diversity-related policies.
The subpoena was issued May 13 and sought documents related to hiring practices, including the Rooney Rule and other league programs designed to increase diversity.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at the time that the league was cooperating with the investigation and that the league’s initiatives are reviewed regularly to make sure they’re in compliance with the law.
Uthmeier criticized the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for some positions, as possibly being discriminatory based on race and sex.
The MLB situation seems to be in the same vein of concern, but with a focus on religious expression.
Uthmeier has not identified any particular legal claims associated with the warning to Giants players, but his office’s history of actions suggests it’s willing to look into whether league policies or enforcement actions violate state civil rights protections.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
