Donald Trump praised Shohei Ohtani’s “movie star” looks while also insulting California’s Democratic senators during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ visit to the White House on Monday.
“He looks like a movie star,” said Trump after shaking Ohtani’s hand. “He’s got a good future, I’m telling you.”
Ohtani propelled the Dodgers to victory in last year’s World Series after one of the finest individual seasons in history, during which he became the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.
California’s two Democratic senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, were at the White House for the ceremony and Trump briefly turned his attention to them. “We have a couple senators here. I just don’t particularly like them, so I won’t introduce them,” he said to awkward laughter.
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Teams who have won a major championship have traditionally been invited to the White House to celebrate their victory with the president. However, during Trump’s first term several teams were not invited or made it clear they would not attend if they were. Those teams included the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, and the United States women’s national team after their victory at the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
The Dodgers’ All-Star shortstop, Mookie Betts, chose not to visit the White House when he was a member of the Boston Red Sox’ championship-winning team during Trump’s first term. He was in attendance on Monday but said it was not an easy decision. “Being Black in America in a situation like this, it’s a tough spot to be in,” he said last week.
He said he chose to attend this year so as not to disrupt the team. “No matter what I choose, somebody is going to be pissed. This is not about me. This is not about politics,” he said. “This is about the Dodgers and my loyalty to these boys in the clubhouse.”
The Dodgers visited Joe Biden’s White House after their World Series victory in 2020. On that occasion, pitcher Blake Treinen sat out the visit. He said he was more excited this time around. “I’m pumped. The greatest president of my lifetime,” Treinen said of meeting Trump. “Excited to meet him, shake his hand, thank him for what he is doing.”
The Dodgers’ visit has attracted the ire among some section of the club’s ...
