Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers continued the yearly MLB tradition of visiting the White House following a World Series victory. And sitting president Donald Trump had a very unexpected compliment for the reigning NL MVP.
The Dodgers are 11 games deep into a red-hot start to the defense of their 2024 championship. The team has gotten off to an impressive 9-2 start and has stormed through the competition early on — and as many expected. However, on Monday, the organization took a moment to reflect on their achievement from last year.
Every year, the most recent World Series winner takes a trip to the nation’s capital for a meet and greet with the current United States President. In 2025, that is 47th president Donald Trump. A man who has been a divisive political and social figure and did not get visits from the Golden State Warriors and Villanova Wildcats when they won championships during his first term (2017 to 2020).
The Dodgers did not pass on the opportunity this year, and with them came the league’s top star, Shohei Ohtani. And the man known for left-field opinions and thoughts had a surprising compliment for the Japanese superstar.
Donald Trump appreciates Shohei Ohtani’s good looks
“He looks like a movie star. He’s got a good future, I’m telling you,” Trump said. The interesting compliment came after the President ran down the designated hitter’s laundry list of achievements in 2024, including being the latest player to add themselves to the rare 40-40 club (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases) and first in the 50-50 club.
The Potus also told the assembled Dodgers players and management, “I hope you’re going to be back here next year.” Furthermore, franchise legend Clayton Kershaw gifted the 78-year-old a special Dodgers jersey with his name and the number 47 on it.
The visit comes at an interesting time when he has started a massive tariff war with many of the world’s biggest economies. It is a decision that has created fears of a recession in 2025, as the stock market has plummeted in recent days.
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