On Thursday, the Los Angeles Dodgers were at the White House to celebrate their second straight World Series win in 2025. The defending champions came bearing gifts for the President of the United States, Donald Trump. However, as politics and sports mixed for the evening, not every fan enjoyed the spectacle that unfolded in the Rose Garden.

The White House welcomed the Dodgers with a band playing an instrumental version of I Love L.A., as attendees donned Dodger blue caps. Trump also delivered a speech, speaking at length about the team’s thrilling World Series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. While commemorating their consecutive wins at the White House on July 23, the Dodgers added a special gift alongside the standard jersey. Team owner Mark Walter gifted the President with a championship ring. The gesture angered a significant part of the Dodgers fanbase.

They poured their frustration out on social media, with user Hear in LA posting a video on X.

“Made me just lose complete respect for the Los Angeles Dodgers as a franchise,” a user remarked under the video.

After the 25-minute-long ceremony at a renovated Rose Garden on Thursday, Walter climbed the stage with a box in his hands. He opened it to reveal the championship ring, much to Trump’s surprise.

“Wow! Do I have to report this? I don’t want to report this,” said Trump after he got the ring.

The owner of the Guggenheim Partners, Walter, also pointed out that Trump’s name is engraved on the ring. After receiving the gift, the President chose to keep it inside his suit jacket. The Dodgers also visited the White House last year after they won the 2024 World Series. To commemorate their victory against the New York Yankees, Trump saluted them in the East Room.

As the team returned in 2026, Trump stated, “I’m thrilled to say welcome back to the White House. And maybe I’ll see you again next year.”

During the ceremony, Trump rained praises on the team, especially Shohei Ohtani. Before the event, the President reportedly expressed his excitement to meet the Japanese two-way phenom. He also compared the Dodgers star with the legendary Babe Ruth.

As the top MLB team spent their off-day at White House before their series against the New York Mets, a couple of their World Series heroes were missing. Mookie Betts skipped the ceremony and chose family time instead, while Kike Hernandez stayed away due to his oblique injury.

Though the US President will love having the championship ring in his showcase, a part of the fanbase certainly did not. They also did not hesitate to make their feelings known.

The Dodgers face fan frustration over ring presentation to Trump

One fan took a jab at the Dodgers’ conduct, stating, “Yeah that’s insane to give him a real world series ring when he did nothing to help us win.” Some users noted Trump’s reaction, expressing surprise over his visibly gleeful reaction.

“This feels like a genuine reaction from the guy. The first time I’ve ever felt him be human,” a user wrote. Similar observations were made regarding players’ reactions to the President getting a ring.

“Look how much respect they have for him. So cool!” a fan wrote.

Interestingly, the MLB’s current CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) will expire on December 1, but the league and the MLB Players Association are poles apart in their demands. The biggest roadblock between the two parties is the salary cap proposed by the owners. The union is vehemently against salary cap implementation and has warned of a work stoppage. A potential lockout in the 2027 season is looming. The situation is so intense that Trump might need to intervene to help foster an agreement between the two entities.

A user remarked, “Draft Dodger gets a Dodger ring.”

During the Vietnam War, Donald Trump received five draft deferments, as reported by The Hill. He received four when he was attending Fordham University and the University of Pennsylvania between 1964 and 1968. He received another in October 1968, which he avoided on medical grounds. Speaking to The New York Times in 2016, Trump stated that he was diagnosed with bone spurs in his heel. Opposition leaders and critics subsequently accused Trump of avoiding serving in the military.

The backlash didn’t end there, as certain users wondered whether Trump requested a ring before welcoming the team to the White House.

“How much you wanna bet Trump asked for the ring?” a user posed.

Fans may not have liked the ceremony, but the President was surely happy.