Shohei Ohtani’s Oval Office Visit With President Trump Draws Hilarious Reactions: “Ippei Mizuhara About To Get Pardoned”

Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers paid a visit to the White House earlier today to celebrate their 2024 World Series championship.

In case you forgot, the Dodgers – who basically have the baseball version of the Avengers as their roster – took down the New York Yankees last October, winning the seven-game series 4-1 (it wasn’t ever close). That earned them an invitation to the White House to visit with President Trump, which they excitedly accepted:

“In keeping with long-standing baseball tradition, President Trump has invited the 2024 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House when they play in Washington D.C. on April 7. The Dodgers look forward to visiting the White House and celebrating our title. In addition, members of the Dodgers will visit Capitol Hill on April 8.”

In keeping with long-standing baseball tradition, President Trump has invited the 2024 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House when they play in Washington D.C. on April 7. The Dodgers look forward to visiting the White House and celebrating our title.

In…

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 25, 2025

This comes after it was announced that the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs would be stopping by to see the President in the coming months as well. If you are confused by that, President Trump didn’t invite both the winner and the loser of this past year’s Super Bowl intentionally. The Eagles got an invitation because they won, and the Chiefs were also extended an invite to make up for the visit they never got to take in 2020 (because of COVID).

In other words, Trump is going to stay busy welcoming championship teams to the White House.

That period of championship recognition officially started today when the Dodgers team stopped by the White House so they could be recognized as MLB’s best from last season (they’re unfortunately very likely to visit 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue A LOT in the next decade or so). The west coast team is about to embark in a series against the Washington Nationals, so they opted to make the most of the trip and visit the abode of the POTUS while they were in town.

And one video from the proceedings that has really made the rounds online is Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani’s visit to the Oval Office. With Donald Trump seated at his big ol’ desk, the talented DH (and pitcher once he returns from injury) walked around to meet the president, shook his hand, accepted some medallions, and then took a moment for a photo op with the Declaration of Independence.

Shohei was grinning ear to ear the entire time:

Shohei met with the president in the Oval Office pic.twitter.com/Lth4svKF8B

— DodgersMuse (@LADodgersMuse) April 7, 2025

Regardless of how you feel about the Dodgers (I, for one, hate them) or President Trump, that’s a cool moment right there.

It’s also a moment that has drawn out quite the reaction from the internet. As you might imagine, some people that are located in California have voiced their disappointment with the Dodgers visiting the White House. If you dive into the reply section on social media, you’ll see plenty of commentary like that.

On the other hand, a multitude of others have decided to use the video of Shohei visiting Donald Trump for meme inspiration (one in particular about Shohei’s former interpreter had me laughing), and have left plenty of funny replies like these below the post:

Two legends come together for World Domination.

— Patrick W. Cutler (@PatrickWCutler) April 7, 2025

Ippei Mizuhara about to get pardoned

— David Bermudez (@dwbermudez) April 7, 2025

Thought for a moment he was giving Ohtani a pen to sign the Declaration of Independence.

— Jeremy Pond (@JeremyPond) April 7, 2025

PLEASE TRUMP GET HIM OFF THE DODGERS https://t.co/4DUBRJKu28

— MookieButts (@MookieButts) April 7, 2025

Man got handed a No Sweat Bet Token from the president

— mXchokyle (@KyleBoyte) April 7, 2025

Shohei saving US and Japan relations amid the tariff battle. AMAZING!!!!

— TradingOC (@TradingOC) April 7, 2025

A lot of weak minded Dodgers fans upset that Shohei has respect for this country and the President regardless of whatever his political beliefs are. Shohei is a class act

— Bush (@itsbushwacker) April 7, 2025