Boston Red Sox star outfielder Mookie Betts said he will not join the rest of his team when they visit the White House in May in celebration of their World Series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Betts, who was awarded the Most Valuable Player award for the American League, told the Boston Globe that he will decline to attend the event, but refused to give a reason to explain his decision.
“I won’t be going there,” Betts said. “I decided not to.”
While the total headcount is unknown, several players asked by the Globe confirmed they would be going, while others were still undecided. Teams and individual players declining to attend traditional celebratory visits for victorious sports teams has become commonplace during President Trump’s administration. Players from the Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, and Houston Astros skipped a White House visit in the past couple years, while the last two NBA champions have declined a visit altogether.
Trump hosted the Clemson Tigers football team during the recent partial government shutdown for their college football championship victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide where Trump held a fast food feast for the college students.
Players protesting a White House visit also happened before Trump came into office. For instance, Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas declined his White House invitation during the Obama administration in 2011 and was criticized in sports media for politicizing the celebration.
The Red Sox’s visit was originally scheduled for Feb. 15 but was rescheduled by the team due to the shutdown, with the team president saying that it was not morally right to visit the White House while federal employees were furloughed and working without pay.
