Mookie Betts skipped a visit to the White House during Donald Trump's first term after winning the 2018 World Series with the Boston Red Sox. He has different plans with the 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers.
The former MVP told reporters Friday he intends to visit Trump at the White House with his teammates on April 7, when the Dodgers will celebrate their eighth World Series title. He indicated it was a matter of being present for his teammates, and also said he regretted not going in 2019.
Said he regrets decision not to participate in Red Sox visit in 2019. “I made it about me. … I’m not the same person I was then”
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) April 4, 2025
Betts notably didn't present a political reason when he confirmed he wouldn't go after the 2018 Fall Classic, simply saying he "decided not to."
Similarly, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said in 2019 he would not visit Trump in the White House if his team hypothetically won the World Series. He confirmed he will make the trip last month:
“I respect the position. It’s the highest office in our country certainly, in the world. So I’m looking forward to it.”
Both Betts and Roberts visited former president Joe Biden at the White House in 2021 after winning the 2020 World Series.
The Dodgers will be visiting Trump at a politically chaotic time, as the stock market has seen significant losses since the president instituted sweeping tariffs that could raise prices and upend global trade. There have also been recent headlines about the Trump administration's removal of an article about Jackie Robinson, the Dodgers legend who broke the MLB color barrier, from the Pentagon's website (which was later restored) and the removal of a Robinson biography from the library at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Betts has taken a central ...
