Dodgers stars accept Donald Trump invite as President confuses himself during speech

Los Angeles Dodgers stars accepted Donald Trump’s White House invitation as the President confused himself during a speech celebrating the team’s World Series triumph

Sian JonesUS Sports Reporter

08:30 ET, JUL 24 2026

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Los Angeles Dodgers stars accepted Donald Trump’s invitation to the White House to celebrate their back-to-back World Series success, but the President’s speech quickly became the talking point after he appeared to confuse himself during the ceremony.

The Dodgers arrived at the White House after making history as baseball’s first back-to-back World Series champions in 25 years. The franchise, which has now lifted seven titles across its time in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, had never previously won consecutive championships.

During the Rose Garden ceremony, the team presented President Trump with a custom Dodgers jersey and a World Series championship ring. Four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, first baseman Freddie Freeman, World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and manager Dave Roberts were among the attendees, while several players, including star shortstop Mookie Betts and utility player Kike Hernández, chose not to make the trip.

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1 of 9Dodgers HonoredFour-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and manager Dave Roberts were among the Dodgers representatives who attended the White House ceremony. However, several players, including star shortstop Mookie Betts and utility man Kike Hernández, opted to skip the event.
2 of 9White House VisitLos Angeles Dodgers stars visited the White House after accepting Donald Trump’s invitation to celebrate their historic back-to-back World Series triumphs. The team made baseball history as the first repeat champions in 25 years before presenting the President with a custom Dodgers jersey and World Series ring during a Rose Garden ceremony.
3 of 9Championship RecognitionTeams that win major championships have traditionally been welcomed to the White House to celebrate their achievements with the sitting president. However, during Trump’s first term, several title-winning teams either declined invitations or were not invited, including champions from the NBA and WNBA.In recent months, the White House has hosted the Olympic gold medal-winning US men’s hockey team and NHL champions the Florida Panthers. The 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder chose not to make the visit, while New York Knicks owner James Dolan revealed the 2026 champions had received an invitation from Trump, although no decision has been made on whether the team will attend.

4 of 9Trump BlunderTrump has become a regular figure at White House championship celebrations, but his appearances have often been accompanied by awkward moments and headline-making gaffes. During the Dodgers’ visit to mark their back-to-back World Series victories, Trump once again found himself in the spotlight after admitting during his speech that he was unaware of the team’s historic MLB achievement.
5 of 9Major Mix-UpTrump learned the statistic as he was reading it. “And for the first time in this proud history of this famous franchise, you are repeat champions,” Trump said. He then paused and added, “I didn’t know that.” The clip quickly spread online, and people joked about Trump’s inability to process the new information as he spoke. One person commented that Trump’s team “should just take everything away but the ‘I didn’t know that'” in post-production to avoid embarrassment.
6 of 9Ceremony ChaosThe awkward moments continued when Trump appeared to make another mistake during the ceremony, nearly referring to the Dodgers as the New York Giants while recognising Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, actress Cheryl Hines.

7 of 9Giants GaffeThe president may have had the Giants on his mind, with Trump having previously praised quarterback Jaxson Dart’s physique and athletic build during rallies in May. “He wasn’t supposed to be here, but he’s a big Dodger fan,” Trump said. “Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Thank you, Bobby. And his incredible wife, thank you. Are you a big fan of the Gi-… Dodgers? I didn’t know that.”
8 of 9Confusion EruptsTrump even acknowledged his confusion halfway through his prepared speech after noting that the Dodgers’ 229-day season was the longest in MLB history. “I didn’t know that… did you know that?” the president asked. “That’s a pretty crazy fact. I mean, it’s not the kind of fact you think about. What is it going to be, a half a day longer or something? I don’t know.”That’s a different kind of a fact, Mark [Walter], than I ever heard of. But that’s what they give me to read, so what can I tell you? I don’t know what the hell that means.”
9 of 9Shohei SaluteTrump also reflected on last year’s dramatic World Series Game 3, where the Dodgers defeated the Blue Jays 6-5 in an 18-inning thriller. The President claimed he stayed awake until around 3 a.m. watching the marathon contest and singled out Ohtani for praise, describing him as one of baseball’s premier talents.The Dodgers entered the ceremony enjoying another dominant season, holding a 65-38 record and leading MLB in winning percentage (.631), runs scored (535) and run differential (+157). Roberts said, “We’re going for a three-peat,” as the team is in a strong position to make that happen. Los Angeles will try to become the first team since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees to win three straight World Series.”