WASHINGTON — At the White House on Thursday, President Donald Trump hosted a celebration for Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and the reigning World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Speaking in the Rose Garden to honor their consecutive championship victories, Trump praised the franchise as “one of the great brands anywhere in the world.”
Trump noted that the Dodgers’ narrow Game 7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays last autumn concluded “a hell of a series.” Expressing surprise that the franchise had never previously secured back-to-back championships, he also floated the possibility of them achieving a three-peat.
“It is a pleasure to welcome you back to the White House,” he remarked, adding, “and perhaps I will host you once more next season.”
In April 2025, the president had previously honored the roster in the East Room following their 2024 World Series triumph against the New York Yankees. Prior to Thursday’s ceremony, Trump shared his eagerness to meet Ohtani, drawing extensive comparisons between the two-way sensation and the legendary Babe Ruth, going so far as to call the Dodgers standout the premier hitter and pitcher in the sport.
“When discussing global brands, this is genuinely one of the premier names on earth,” Trump remarked regarding the Dodgers. He delivered his speech standing near a table displaying a pair of World Series trophies and a personalized “Trump 47” jersey gifted to him by the franchise.
Additionally, the Dodgers presented Trump with what appeared to be a duplicate World Series ring. This gesture led Trump to jokingly ask, “Wow. Do I have to report this? I don’t want to report this,” prior to sliding the piece of jewelry into his suit jacket’s inner pocket.
Attendees in the audience donned blue Dodgers baseball caps to shield themselves from the intense afternoon sun, while a band performed an upbeat, jazzy rendition of Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” ahead of the president’s entrance.
Trump recounted the dramatic Game 3 of the previous World Series, a marathon 18-inning contest that saw the Dodgers emerge victorious with a 6-5 score. The president mentioned staying awake until nearly 3 a.m. to catch the conclusion, observing that “it was a long one, but it was amazing.”
“I was convinced you were on the verge of defeat four or five different times during that game, yet you managed to pull off the win,” he noted, jokingly adding, “A little fortune never hurts, does it?” Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts concurred, saying, “Luck is OK.”
“Though when you possess talent, good fortune tends to follow you,” Trump went on to say.
The president shared that during a brief chat with Roberts prior to the ceremony, he was informed that the Dodgers currently hold the top record in the league, remarking, “I’ve been a little busy with Iran and some other things.”
This statement served as Trump’s sole allusion during the reception to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has seen heightened intensity from both factions over the last few days.
Roberts also offered a brief comment of his own, declaring: “Our goal is a three-peat.”
The tradition of welcoming championship baseball squads to the executive mansion dates back to 1869, when President Ulysses S. Grant received the Cincinnati Red Stockings. As the inaugural fully professional franchise to visit the White House, they completed their season without a single loss, long before the modern World Series format was created in 1903.
Athletic visits to the White House during Trump’s tenure have occasionally sparked debate. For instance, in 2018, the president withdrew his invitation to the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles when numerous roster members indicated they would not participate in the event.
Prominent Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts was absent from Thursday’s gathering in the Rose Garden, despite participating in the 2025 celebration. He explained his preference to dedicate the team’s off-days to spending time with his family.
Initially, the franchise contemplated scheduling their White House visit last April while in town to play the Washington Nationals, but a packed early-season calendar made it unfeasible. Instead, they made the trip to Washington during a rest day sandwiched between their newly completed series with the Philadelphia Phillies and Friday’s series opener against the New York Mets in Queens.
Within the last year, Trump remodeled the Rose Garden, introducing a patio section modeled after his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. During the Dodgers’ reception, he pointed out a “Walk of Fame” set up along the colonnade, displaying presidential plaques alongside politically charged criticisms of Joe Biden and various Democratic figures.
“I thought about placing some legendary Dodgers up on this wall,” Trump teased, “but then I decided it made more sense to stick with the presidents.”
As an avid baseball enthusiast and native New Yorker, Trump has long maintained ties with the Yankees, whose late owner George Steinbrenner was a personal friend. Reflecting on Steinbrenner on Thursday, Trump remarked, “He was willing to do whatever it took to win,” before turning to the Dodgers’ ownership group to say, “and you are following that exact same path.”
However, the president’s remarks about sports franchises are not always positive. At a campaign rally in Georgia on Wednesday, he offered compliments to the front office of the local Atlanta Braves while criticizing the Mets for failing to produce wins despite carrying a massive payroll.
During that rally, Trump was accompanied on stage by former Braves skipper Brian Snitker, alongside Mike Plant, who serves as the president and CEO of the Braves Development Company.
“As you know, the Mets have the biggest payroll in the game, yet they consistently drop games,” Trump stated, adding, “So I thought, perhaps we can recruit this guy instead.”
“Some franchises are consistently excellent and never slip,” Trump observed. “Then you have others that claim to be ‘rebuilding’ year after year. I will refrain from naming specific teams because I am well-acquainted with the owners; they are all friends of mine.”
