Looks like history is about to repeat itself for Mookie Betts…

He won his first World Series in 2018, and while the Boston Red Sox visited the White House in 2019 as part of MLB tradition, Betts chose to sit it out. Since then, the shortstop has won three more World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a result, he was part of the team during both of its White House visits in 2021 and 2025. But this year may not follow the same pattern. 

“If I do [go], people are gonna hate me. If I don’t, people are gonna hate me,” Mookie Betts explained, as per the New York Post, after the Dodgers announced their White House visit. “So instead of trying to make everyone else happy, I’m gonna think about myself and my family.”

Notably, the 33-year-old said he doesn’t want to be dragged into politics, but he also acknowledged that there’s a high likelihood of exactly that happening. After the Dodgers met Donald Trump in April 2025, it attracted a lot of criticism, particularly because of the ongoing debate about DEI policies in 2025.

“I’m not trying to make this a whole big deal. 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,” Betts added. “That’s really kind of it. But people are gonna make it a whole bunch of other stuff.”

The Dodgers wanted to have this visit earlier in April, but tight scheduling didn’t help their cause. So they will be using July 23, an off day between two road series, to meet the Prez.  

While Mookie Betts skipped meeting Donald Trump in 2019, he visited the White House during Trump’s second presidential term in 2025. However, rather than getting tangled up in politics, he is choosing to take full responsibility for his decision.

“This is about the Dodgers. It’s about my loyalty to these boys, this clubhouse. And that’s all it is for me,” he emphasized. 

Enrique Hernández, Betts’ Dodgers teammate, has made the same decision about the tradition. He suffered a left oblique strain in late May and is recovering through rehab. However, his injury might not be the only reason for sitting out the trip. Hernandez hinted that he might have skipped it even if he wasn’t in rehab. 

And that’s a totally different perspective from the Dodgers’ manager.  

The Dodgers are en route to the White House later this month

Dave Roberts made his stance clear shortly after the team set the date for July 23, saying:

“I am going to continue to try to do what tradition says.”

“As was the case one year ago, the Dodgers’ upcoming visits to the White House and Capitol Hill follow the longtime tradition of visits by other World Series champions,” read the official statement from the franchise. 

However, many believe that they can see through their “formality.”

Notably, fans, media, and insiders alike were unhappy after the Dodgers went to celebrate their championship at the White House last year. The diversity, equity, and inclusion policies were at the center of a huge controversy. And the fact that their trip was just eight days before Jackie Robinson Day made it worse.  

While the Dodgers never addressed the backlash, the fans expected better from the franchise. That’s why Mookie Betts didn’t want to enter the political debates. More importantly, his family-first explanation is consistent, given that the star skipped the 2026 World Baseball Classic to stay with his wife as they were expecting a child. 

Now, they have a second daughter who is just 4 months old, and Betts wants to make the most of the little time he gets to spend with his family.