The Los Angeles Dodgers were in full attendance when they visited the White House Monday, following weeks of speculation.
The Dodgers met with the president at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Monday morning to toast their 2024 World Series triumph before they face the Washington Nationals to begin a three-game series at Nationals Park.
Los Angeles dominated the New York Yankees in the showdown series last fall, narrowly missing out on sweeping their East Coast rivals with a 5-1 victory.
President Donald Trump, who hailed the players gathered behind him in the East Room as ‘the best-looking people I’ve ever seen,’ congratulated the Dodgers on their achievement.
However, the Commander-in-Chief also seized the chance to take aim at his critics as he launched into a bizarre tangent about the price of eggs before adding: ‘We have a couple of senators here. I just don’t particularly like them, so I won’t introduce them.’
The 78-year-old did then return his attention to the baseball players in attendance to be honored, shaking hands with manager Dave Roberts and stars Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Kike Hernandez after individually calling them out.
President Donald Trump welcomed the Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House Monday
Star Shohei Ohtani (L) and manager Dave Roberts (R) were among the Dodgers in attendance
The trip to the nation’s capital is traditional for all US sports teams who have clinched their respective championship but, similarly to their NFL counterparts, the Philadelphia Eagles , their had been question marks over the attendance of the MLB franchise – in particular star Mookie Betts.
Given Betts rejected the chance to meet Trump as a Red Sox champion six years ago, there was speculation that he could repeat his no-show.
But speaking to the LA Times over the weekend, Betts revealed he would be at the White House Monday and the Dodgers now expect to have 100% attendance.
‘No matter what I say or what I do, people are gonna take it as political,’ he said. ‘This is not about me; I don’t want anything to be about me.
‘It comes with the territory, being Black in America in a situation like this. It’s a tough spot to be in.
‘No matter what I choose, somebody is gonna be p***ed. Somebody is gonna have their own opinion. But again, this is not about me. This is not about politics. This is about the Dodgers. It’s about my loyalty to these boys, this clubhouse. And that’s all it is for me.’
The president greets Dodgers manager Roberts on the podium in the East Room
The Commander-in-Chief shakes hands with the reigning National League MVP Ohtani
Mookie Betts (front left), who skipped the Red Sox’s visit in 2019, was in attendance
Betts added that he regretted his non-attendance for the ceremony at the White House in 2019.
And Betts stayed true to his word – likely much to the displeasure of the Dodgers’ own fanbase.
Following the team’s confirmation last month that they would visit the White House, which manager Dave Roberts called a ‘great honor’, Angelinos were left fuming over the decision.
The fanbase, located in the Democratic heartland of California, branded the move a ‘slap in the face.’
