WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 07: U.S. President Donald Trump accompanied by Los Angeles Dodgers Owner and Chairman Mark Walter (R), speaks as he hosts the 2024 World Series champions in the East Room of the White House on April 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees with a 7-6 victory in Game 5. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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On Thursday, the Los Angeles Dodgers utilized an off day in their schedule to celebrate their latest World Series championship with President Donald Trump in the White House.
Though such visits have become common traditions for major American sports teams, the Dodgers’ decision to accept Trump’s latest invitations have been met with scrutiny among local fans of the team.
And one of the team’s superstar leaders, Mookie Betts, has found himself navigating the political climate. Unlike some recent players who have taken firm political stances one way or the other, Betts has vacillated between accepting Trump’s invitations and declining them.
That evolving approach has sparked discussion after nearly every championship celebration and this week was no different.
Los Angeles Dodgers Superstar Mookie Betts Admits Regret Over White House Visit Decision
Speaking this week, Betts acknowledged that his decision to visit the White House and celebrate the Dodgers’ 2024 championship continues to weigh on him after the backlash that followed.
“Last year, I think I did it and I realized I didn’t do it for me,” Betts admitted to The Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett. “On top of that, you make someone happy, you make someone else unhappy. I don’t want to keep doing that to myself. That’s pretty much it.”
Betts also recognized that no decision would satisfy everyone as he offered an apology for his decision to skip this year’s planned visit.
“I apologize,” Betts added, per Plunkett. “To the people that it’s going to piss off. Because it’s going to piss somebody off.”
Betts’ latest comments marked a notable shift from his explanation for the visit last year, when he said attending the White House ceremony was about celebrating alongside his teammates rather than making a political statement. Betts previously skipped the Boston Red Sox’s 2019 White House visit after the club won the 2018 World Series, then he attended the Dodgers’ visit to President Joe Biden in 2021 following the 2020 championship.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Can’t Avoid Political Spotlight Amid Latest Trump White House Visit
The Dodgers’ decision to accept their latest White House invitation generated significant attention beyond baseball once again, particularly as political tensions involving Los Angeles intensified this year.
“Ever since the Dodgers visited the White House last spring to commemorate their 2024 World Series win, President Trump has launched a barrage of metaphorical fastballs trying to hurt Los Angeles — in the courts, in speeches and on social media, but especially via his deportation deluge that’s starting to simmer again,” Gustavo Arellando wrote for the Los Angeles Times, urging the team to “stand up” for the city while meeting with Trump.
Betts’ latest comments suggest he has grown weary of becoming part of that broader political conversation. He has said that he skipped the latest invitation because he preferred to spend the off day with his family and has stressed that it was not a political decision.
But as the Dodgers continue to surge toward a third-straight title, it seems Betts might have to make yet another White House visit decision in the near future.