The Los Angeles Dodgers will return to the White House to celebrate their 2025 World Series championship, continuing a tradition they’ve maintained through their recent title runs.
A White House official confirmed Thursday that President Donald Trump plans to host the team, though no specific date has been set for the ceremony. This will mark the Dodgers’ third White House visit in recent years, following celebrations with President Biden in 2021 and President Trump last April.
The Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games last fall to become the first team since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees to win back-to-back World Series championships. Following their victory, President Trump extended an invitation via Truth Social, writing: “Congratulations to the L.A. Dodgers, a game won by incredible CHAMPIONS!!! SEE YOU ALL AT THE WHITE HOUSE!!!”
While a Dodgers spokesman declined to comment on the upcoming visit, manager Dave Roberts has made his position clear. “For me, I stand by: I’m a baseball manager. That’s my job,” Roberts told the Los Angeles Times. “I was raised — by a man who served our country for 30 years — to respect the highest office in our country. For me, it doesn’t matter who is in the office, I’m going to go to the White House.”
The most likely date for the ceremony appears to be Thursday, April 2, which is an off day before the Dodgers begin a three-game series against the Washington Nationals on April 3-5.
Last year’s White House visit saw full team attendance, with only Freddie Freeman (who was on the injured list with an ankle injury) and Brusdar Graterol (a Venezuelan native) not present. Mookie Betts, who had skipped a White House visit with the Boston Red Sox during Trump’s first term, ultimately decided to join his Dodgers teammates in 2025.
“No matter what I say or what I do, people are gonna take it as political,” Betts said at the time. “But that’s definitely not what it is. This is about what the Dodgers were able to accomplish last year.”
Clayton Kershaw, who has since retired, spoke at last year’s ceremony, saying afterward: “The White House is an incredible honor to get to go see, regardless of who’s in office. Getting to go to the White House, getting to see the Oval Office, getting to meet the President of the United States, that’s stuff that you can’t lose sight of no matter what you believe.”
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