Dodgers ring gift to Trump draws joke at White House ceremony
Trump hosted the champion Dodgers at the White House, praising Ohtani and reacting to a ring gift during a Rose Garden event.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
President Donald Trump hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers at the White House on Thursday, where a Dodgers ring gift became the most talked-about moment of a ceremony honoring the club’s latest World Series title, Fortune reported. The team presented Trump with a No. 47 jersey and what appeared to be a replica World Series ring during the Rose Garden event.
After receiving the ring, Trump said, “Wow. Do I have to report this? I don’t want to report this,” then put it inside his suit jacket, according to Fortune. The event celebrated the Dodgers’ second championship in two years after they beat the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 last fall.
Trump praised the franchise as “one of the great brands anywhere in the world,” Fortune reported. He also said he was surprised to learn the Dodgers had not previously won consecutive titles and suggested he might see them again if they win a third straight championship.
What did the Dodgers give Trump at the White House?
The Dodgers gave Trump a jersey bearing the number 47 and what Fortune described as looking like a replica World Series ring. Championship teams often give presidents personalized items during White House visits, though the report did not detail the ring’s value or whether it would require any formal disclosure.
Trump singled out Shohei Ohtani before and during the visit, comparing him to Babe Ruth and saying the Dodgers star could be regarded as baseball’s best hitter and pitcher, Fortune reported. He also recognized Freddie Freeman and manager Dave Roberts during the event.
The ceremony came after Trump hosted the Dodgers in the East Room in April 2025 for their 2024 World Series win over the New York Yankees, according to Fortune. At Thursday’s gathering, Trump talked about the Dodgers’ 18-inning, 6-5 win in Game 3 of last year’s World Series, saying he stayed up until about 3 a.m. to watch it.
Trump said Roberts told him before the ceremony that the Dodgers currently had baseball’s best record, Fortune reported. The president added that he had been “a little busy with Iran and some other things,” his only reference during the event to the fighting in the Middle East.
Roberts spoke briefly and said, “We’re going for a three-peat,” according to Fortune. Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts did not attend Thursday’s event, though he was present for the 2025 visit; Fortune reported that Betts has said he prefers spending scheduled off days with his family.
Fortune reported that the Dodgers had considered an April visit during a series against the Washington Nationals, but their early season schedule did not allow it. The team instead visited Washington on an off day between a series against the Philadelphia Phillies and a Friday opener against the New York Mets in Queens.
Baseball champions have a long history at the White House, Fortune reported, dating to President Ulysses S. Grant’s 1869 hosting of the Cincinnati Red Stockings. That visit came decades before the modern World Series began in 1903.
The White House setting has changed since the Dodgers’ previous visit, according to Fortune. Trump has remade the Rose Garden, added a patio area and installed a presidential “Walk of Fame” on the colonnade featuring plaques of past presidents along with partisan messages aimed at Joe Biden and other Democrats.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.