Biden says he would ‘strongly support’ MLB moving the All-Star Game due to Georgia’s new voting law

Joe Biden has said he would back Major League Baseball moving the All-Star Game out of Atlanta over the Georgia’s new voting law and blasted the decision to reopen Texas Rangers’ stadium at 100 percent capacity ahead of opening day for ballparks across the country. 

The president told ESPN’s Sage Steele Wednesday he would ‘strongly support’ discussions between MLB and the players’ union on moving the All-Star Game amid concerns about the new legislation that tightens voting laws in Georgia.

‘I think today’s professional athletes are acting incredibly responsibly. I would strongly support them doing that,’ he said.

‘The very people who are victimized the most are the people who are the leaders in these various sports. And it’s just not right,’ Biden said, slamming the Georgia law as ‘Jim Crow on steroids.’

His comments came as fans are set to return to major league stadiums on Thursday after they were kept out during the regular season last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.   

Several MLB sports stars and prominent figures, including the head of the players of association, have called for the All-Star Game to be moved in response to Governor Brian Kemp’s controversial law.

League commissioner Rob Manfred told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he and union leader Tony Clark had discussed the idea.

‘I am talking to various constituencies within the game and I’m just not going beyond that in terms of what I would consider or not consider,’ Manfred said.

Last week, Kemp signed a law which Democrats and many sports figures have argued puts off voters and restricts voter access, particularly to communities of color.

The sweeping law expands early-voting hours, requires extra voter ID for mail-in voting and gives electors greater powers to challenge voter eligibility.

It also makes it a crime for non-election workers to give out food and water to voters while they stand in line. 

Several other Republican-led states are also considering similar moves in the wake of Donald Trump’s repeated false claims that he lost the 2020 election due to fraud.

Investigations uncovered no evidence of widespread fraud.

Biden applauded the consideration by the sport to take a stand against the law by moving the hotly-anticipated game out of the red state.

‘People look to them,’ Biden said of professional athletes. 

‘They’re leaders. Look at what happened with the NBA, as well. Look what’s happened across the board.’

He continued: ‘This is Jim Crow on steroids what they’re doing in Georgia and 40 other states. What’s it all about? 

‘Imagine passing a law saying you cannot provide water or food for someone standing in line to vote. Can’t do that? Come on.

‘Or you’re going to close the polling place at 5 o’clock when people just get off? This is all about keeping working folks that I grew up with from being able to vote.’ 

Biden also told ESPN it was a ‘mistake’ for the Texas Rangers to allow full capacity at their ballpark for their first game of the season.