After to back-to-back World Series championships, the Los Angeles Dodgers have accepted the invitation to visit the White House both times. Their decision has warranted a lot of backlash and discourse amongst fans.
While the entire team gets an invite, players have the opportunity to decline. The most notable absences were Kiké Hernandez–someone who is very open about his feelings toward the Trump administration–and Mookie Betts.
Following their appearance in Washington D.C., Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw got himself wrapped up in another controversy.
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Clayton Kershaw Makes His Stance Clear About MLB’s Pride Night Hat Controversy
On June 12, 2026 three San Francisco Giants players wore the required rainbow-themed hats for MLB’s Pride Night with a bible verse written on the hat. This moment caused a chain reaction amongst the MLB, including formal warnings to all players for violating uniform rules against handwritten message.
However, these Giants players were not the first players to write the bible verse Genesis 9:12-16. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw wrote the same verse on his rainbow-themed hat on June 14, 2025.
On July 25, Kershaw joined “My View with Lara Trump” on Fox News for an exclusive interview where he discusses the matter.
“It wasn’t meant to discriminate or marginalize anybody,” the three-time Cy Young award winner said about his statement. “The rainbow means a lot of different things to different people⦠for me, the rainbow represents Godâs covenant with his people. That’s what I wanted to represent. As a man of faith, as a man that believes in Jesus that’s what the rainbow means to me. I thought that was the best way to do that in a somewhat difficult situation… it wasn’t an easy decision, but I still stand by it, I think it was the right thing to do.”
The bible verse reads, “God places the rainbow in the clouds as the sign of His covenant with Noah, promising never to flood the earth and destroy all life again.”
While Kershaw claims that his statement was a proclamation of his faith and he did not mean to discriminate, members of the LGBTQ+ found it disrespectful to their community, as pride night was created was meant to celebrate and honor the gay community.
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Donald Trump Asks Clayton Kershaw if He Is Still Playing in MLB During Dodgers White House Visit
On Thursday, July 23, the Los Angeles Dodgers attended their second straight White House visit after wining back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025. The Dodgers extended their invitation to Clayton Kershaw who retired at the end of last season.
During President Donald Trump’s speech about the team, he gives Kershaw a shoutout.
“He’s a winner,” Trump said while addressing Kershaw. “You talk about a winner, look at that guy!”
Trump then adds, “He’s still pitching well I bet, right?”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts corrects the president to inform him that Kershaw retired last season. Trump brushes it off asking Kershaw if he would pitch if the Dodgers still needed to him, to which Kershaw laughs it off and says no.
Following his retirement, Kershaw accepted a role as special assistant to baseball operations in the Dodgers front office.
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