Days after clinching their first World Series title, the Washington Nationals will visit President Trump at the White House on Monday.
The ceremony, first reported by The Washington Post, will take place at 1:15 p.m. on the South Lawn.
Presidents have customarily celebrated sports champions at the White House since the Reagan administration. Still, the custom has become politically charged in the Trump era as some teams have declined the president’s invitation to celebrate their win—or have not been invited at all.
Earlier today, Relief Pitcher Sean Doolittle said he does not plan on attending the White House visit, according to The Post. The Washington Mystics, who won the WNBA championship last month, have not been invited to the White House, but Trump hosted the Washington Capitals in March after the team won the Stanley Cup last year.
Trump has celebrated two World Series champions during his tenure. The Houston Astros visited the White House in 2017 after winning the World Series, and Trump hosted the Boston Red Sox last year, though many of the team’s players of color declined the invitation.
It’s uncommon for a team to visit the White House so soon after winning a championship, but most of the Nationals will be in town Saturday for a celebratory parade in downtown D.C. The Capitals also will host the Nats at Capital One Arena on Sunday, prior to their game against the Calgary Flames. A White House official told the Post that the timing was convenient for the team and the president.
Trump’s invitation comes days after he attended Game 5 of the World Series at a sold-out Nats Park over the weekend. Trump, joined by first lady Melania Trump and a contingent of Republican Congress members, was met with loud boos and chants of “lock him up,” though he had some supporters among the 42,000 fans.
WAMU has reached out to the Nationals for comment.
This story was updated to include background information about champion teams that have visited the White House, Trump’s visit to Nats Park for Game 5 of the World Series and the status of Sean Doolittle’s White House invitation.
Mary Tyler March