During a public appearance in Marietta, Georgia, President Donald Trump took aim at the New York Mets and their owner Steve Cohen, joking that he had found a better option to run the franchise.
The remarks came during a rally, according to a report by Yahoo Sports. Trump was praising Atlanta Braves Development Company CEO Mike Plant when he turned to the Mets as a contrast.
"So I like baseball. I like baseball," Trump said during the rally, per WXIA News. "But this guy's done such a great job. You know the Mets have the highest salary in baseball and they lose all the time. And I'm like maybe we can steal this guy."
Trump appeared to be referring to Plant, who joined him on stage shortly afterward. The president continued praising Plant's ability to keep the Braves competitive without extended rebuilding cycles.
"You don't realize how good he is," Trump added. "There are teams like that, where they never go down. Then you have other teams — 'We're rebuilding.' They've been rebuilding for years. I don't want to mention teams cause I know all the owners. They're all friends of mine. I'll get myself in trouble. This guy never rebuilds. He just stays at the top. He's amazing."
Cohen purchased the Mets in 2020. Since then, the team has consistently spent at or near the top of the league but has seen little postseason success. This season has been particularly rough. The Mets carry Major League Baseball's highest total payroll and are on track to miss the playoffs for the second straight year, a stretch the Yahoo Sports report described as one of the most disappointing in franchise history.
Cohen serves as the Mets' chairman and CEO. If Plant were to be brought in as Trump jokingly suggested, he would likely be filling at least one of those roles.
However, Plant's actual responsibilities with the Braves are focused primarily on business development rather than baseball operations. Johnny Flores noted for The Athletic that Plant operates primarily on the real estate arm of the Braves, overseeing projects like The Battery and the club's spring training complex.
Trump, who is originally from New York, has watched the Mets become what the report called a punching bag during this season's slide.
