Former Rep. Pete King Saturday slammed Major League Baseball for pulling its All-Star Game and 2021 Draft out of Georgia over the state's new voting law, accusing the league of having "surrendered to political correctness and mob rule."
"My earliest memories of baseball are attending Brooklyn Dodgers games with my father watching black and white fans cheer and root for Jackie Robinson," the New York Republican, who turns 77 years old Monday, said in a statement. "Too bad today's MLB allows political correctness to intrude on America's National Pastime."
MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred said Friday that the league would move both events out of Atlanta this year because it would be the "best way to demonstrate our values as a sport," as the league "fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box."
Georgia's new law, signed by GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, has come under fire by critics who say it makes voting more difficult for Black people and other racial minorities and is already facing legal challenges from civil rights groups.
President Joe Biden has derided the measure as "Jim Crow on steroids," and told ESPN this week that he would back MLB moving the game out of Atlanta.
"The Georgia law is in many ways more open and more advanced than laws in other states, including Delaware and New York," said King. "Even the liberal Washington Post has said President Biden is lying in his criticism of the Georgia law.
He added that "in a democracy, we all have the right to agree or disagree on legislation. That right is abused when economic strong-arming and political boycotts replace political dialogue."
King also accused National Basketball Association star Lebron James of "hypocrisy" for saying he backs the MLB's decision "when he makes millions from the NBA which partners with China while that dictatorship practices genocide and torture against its minorities."
King's statement comes after former President Donald Trump Friday night urged fans to boycott the MLB over its decision to pull this year's game and draft out of Georgia.
"Baseball is already losing tremendous numbers of fans," Trump said in a statement.
"Now they leave Atlanta with their All-Star Game because they are afraid of the Radical Left Democrats who do not want voter I.D., which is desperately needed, to have anything to do with our elections."
He also called for a boycott of "all of the woke companies" that are "interfering with Free and Fair Elections. Are you listening Coke, Delta, and all!"
Coca-Cola and Delta are among companies based in Georgia whose CEOS have spoken out against the new law.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.