Ohtani, Betts and World Series champion Dodgers visit Trump at White House

The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 07, 2025 5:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 17 minutes ago

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House connected Monday to congratulate them for winning the World Series past season.

Trump complimented "the precise talented people" who bushed the New York Yankees successful 5 games, portion besides refusing to present immoderate Democratic senators astatine the ceremonial due to the fact that "I conscionable don't peculiarly similar them, truthful I won't present [them]." The lawsuit came during a manic Monday for U.S. stocks aft Trump doubled down connected his tariffs.

Trump singled retired respective Dodgers for their achievements past season, praising Ohtani for becoming baseball's archetypal 50 location run-50 stolen basal player, Japanese pitcher Yoshi Yamamoto and National League Championship Series MVP Tommy Edman.

Trump praised Betts for his play and took a excavation astatine the Boston Red Sox for trading him to the Dodgers, and they shook hands astatine the ceremony.

Betts, the prima outfielder astatine the clip for the 2018 champion Boston Red Sox, did not marque that team's travel to the White House the adjacent twelvemonth during Trump's archetypal term. Betts was connected the Dodgers erstwhile they won the World Series successful 2020 and attended the solemnisation the pursuing twelvemonth nether President Joe Biden.

The 32-year-old Betts is the lone Black subordinate connected the Dodgers who returned from past season's World Series team.

"Nobody other successful this clubhouse has to spell done a determination similar this but me," Betts said implicit the play of his decision. "That's what makes it tough. But it is what it is. I'm not trying to marque this governmental by immoderate means astatine all. All it is is conscionable maine being with my squad to observe something. It's a privilege to get an invitation similar this. I conscionable privation to beryllium determination with them."

Manager Dave Roberts had called the invitation a immense honour that each World Series champion gets to experience. Roberts said deciding to spell to the White House was not a ceremonial speech helium and players had.

The travel came astir a period aft a Department of Defense webpage describing Brooklyn Dodgers large and civilian rights icon Jackie Robinson's subject work was restored aft it had travel down.

Dodgers greats not mentioned astatine ceremony

That improvement came aft pages honouring a Black Medal of Honor victor and Japanese American work members were taken down — which the Pentagon said was a mistake — amid the department's effort to region contented singling retired the contributions by women and number groups, which the Trump medication considers "DEI."

Neither Robinson nor immoderate different erstwhile Dodgers greats were mentioned astatine the ceremony.

Trump did speech concisely astir erstwhile New York Yankees proprietor George Steinbrenner, whom the erstwhile New Yorker called a friend. Trump besides poked amusive astatine the precocious Yankees owner's notorious abbreviated leash with his managers aft helium congratulated Roberts.

"I deliberation helium would person lasted adjacent with George Steinbrenner," Trump said. "You suffer 2 games and you're fired."

Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter and pitcher Clayton Kershaw gave little remarks astatine the White House. Kershaw presented Trump with a Dodgers jersey and No. 47 connected the back.

Trump whitethorn person tipped his manus that helium expected the Dodgers, who were 9-2 going into Monday night's crippled astatine Washington, to repetition arsenic World Series champs.

"After seeing however palmy you've begun the season, I tin archer you that you tin program connected being backmost here, I anticipation you tin beryllium backmost here, adjacent year," Trump said.

The NHL's reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers became the archetypal squad to sojourn Trump successful his 2nd word erstwhile they were honoured during a ceremonial successful the East Room successful aboriginal February.

The White House besides said precocious the NFL's Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles accepted their invitation for April 28.