President Donald Trump hosted the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers at the White House on Thursday for the team’s second visit in two years. The ceremony took place at the Rose Garden, where the team presented Trump with a custom jersey and a World Series championship ring.
Players in attendance and absentees
Among those present were four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, star first baseman Freddie Freeman, World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and manager Dave Roberts. However, several players notably opted out, including star shortstop Mookie Betts and utility man Kiké Hernández. Pitcher Edgardo Henriquez also reportedly did not attend.
Trump’s remarks
“Special winners, unbelievable,” Trump said. “I would not be surprised to see them back here again.” His speech included tangents on former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and the renovation of the Rose Garden. He praised several Dodgers players while confusing some roles, comparing Ohtani to Babe Ruth and praising Clayton Kershaw, who retired after last year’s World Series. “I watched him beat a lot of teams. They didn’t do too well against him. He is still pitching well, I bet,” Trump said of Kershaw.
Trump said he spoke with Roberts before the event and expressed surprise at the Dodgers’ status this season as the best team in baseball, but noted he’s “been a little busy with Iran and some other things.”
Championship ring gift
The team gave Trump what appeared to be a replica of their championship ring. “Wow. Do I have to report this?” he said as he put the ring in his jacket. “I don’t want to report this.”
Fan reactions and player explanations
The Dodgers’ visit left many fans conflicted, given recent ICE raids and protest crackdowns in Los Angeles ordered by the Trump administration. Betts told reporters he preferred to spend the day with his family; Hernández, an outspoken critic of the ICE raids, said he had a conflicting injury rehab assignment but would not have participated if available. Roberts said earlier this year, “My personal line, my company line, is I hope we get this invitation every year because that’s the goal, to win a championship. I’m not a politician, and I’m doing something that teams have done for decades. And so that’s where I stand, really. I’m a baseball coach. That’s what I do.”
Tradition and other teams
Major championship teams have traditionally been invited to the White House. During Trump’s first term, several NBA and WNBA champions were not invited or declined. This year, the White House has hosted the Olympic gold-winning US men’s hockey team and the NHL’s Florida Panthers. The 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder opted not to visit; the owner of the 2026 champion New York Knicks said Trump invited the team but no decision has been made on attendance.
