Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts is expected to forgo the team's upcoming trip to the White House on July 23, a decision he attributes to spending time with his family following the birth of his new child. The Dodgers are scheduled to visit the nation's capital to celebrate their back-to-back World Series titles.
Betts stated that his absence is not politically motivated, emphasizing the importance of family time. "We just had a baby. You don't get many days off. They're coming [on the road trip]. And just want to hang out with the fam. That's really kind of it," Betts told The California Post. He acknowledged that his decision might be misconstrued, adding, "But people are gonna make it a whole bunch of other stuff."
This is not the first time Betts has faced scrutiny over White House visits. In 2019, he was among several Boston Red Sox players who declined to attend a celebration during President Donald Trump's first term, a choice he later admitted regretting as he felt it detracted from the team's achievement. Betts has previously attended both of the Dodgers' recent White House visits, one with President Biden in 2021 and another with Trump last year.
Another Dodgers player, Kike Hernandez, has also seemingly indicated he will not attend the July 23 event. A screenshot of a now-deleted Instagram comment showed Hernandez responding to a fan's plea not to go to the White House with the reply, "I'm not."
Hernandez previously attended the team's White House visit last year to celebrate their 2024 World Series victory. He described the experience as spending several hours waiting in a room before being brought to a stage for a speech, noting that he "wasn't really interested" in speaking with the President. He stressed that his attendance was primarily to celebrate with his teammates.
The Dodgers' decision to accept an invitation from President Trump has drawn criticism. A column in the Los Angeles Times argued that the trip "makes no sense," particularly given the team's diverse fanbase in Los Angeles. The author cited the impact of ICE raids in Los Angeles during Trump's presidency, suggesting the team should acknowledge that the visit is not acceptable due to the President's past actions toward the city's residents.
This planned visit follows the Dodgers' trip in April 2025 to celebrate their 2024 World Series win, where President Trump welcomed the team and singled out several players for their achievements. During that event, Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter and pitcher Clayton Kershaw offered brief remarks, and Kershaw presented Trump with a customized Dodgers jersey.