Trump uses Dodgers celebration to slam political eivals

Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump hosted the World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers at the White House on Monday, celebrating the team’s championship victory and marking a return to the long-standing tradition of presidential visits by major sports teams.

Standing in the East Room alongside Dodgers stars Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, and manager Dave Roberts, Trump praised the team’s “resilience, talent, and movie star looks” in their October win over the New York Yankees.

While the event was meant to highlight the team’s accomplishments, the president didn’t shy away from partisan jabs. “We have a couple senators here. I just don’t particularly like them, so I won’t introduce them,” Trump said, referring to California’s Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff—neither of whom were actually present. Spokespeople for both senators later confirmed to The Hill that they were not in attendance.

The remark drew a wave of awkward laughter from those gathered, which Trump brushed off with a joke, signaling he didn’t think it was a big deal.

This is the second time a championship team has visited the White House during Trump’s current term, following the NHL’s Florida Panthers. During Trump’s first presidency, such visits often became politically charged, leading many teams to decline invitations.

The Dodgers’ visit comes amid recent controversy after the Pentagon briefly removed and later restored an online tribute to Dodgers legend Jackie Robinson’s military service. The move, part of the Trump administration’s broader rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, sparked criticism from civil rights advocates and sports historians.