Trump criticizes modern MLB during White House event: 'They do things wrong'

The solemnisation revolved astir a shot team, but President Donald Trump was talking shot astatine the White House connected Thursday afternoon. 

More specifically, his displeasure with the existent MLB product. 

Trump was hosting Inter Miami CF, the 2025 MLS Cup champions featuring satellite shot fable Lionel Messi, erstwhile helium decided to interject a spot of shot into the conversation. 

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US President Donald Trump speaks during an lawsuit with Inter Miami CF successful the East Room of the White House successful Washington, DC, US, connected Thursday, March 5, 2026. Inter Miami CF is visiting the White House to observe their 2025 title win. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg)

"I emotion sports and I watched my person A-Rod with George Steinbrenner – we’d beryllium successful his container conscionable the 2 of us," Trump said, looking astatine Alex Rodriguez who was seated to his near successful the crowd. Rodriguez seemed to beryllium astatine the White House for a antithetic occasion, arsenic Trump mentioned that helium told him to travel up for the MLS celebration.

"He would ne'er person anybody but me," Trump went connected astir the legendary New York Yankees proprietor successful Steinbrenner. "He liked me, right? He liked me, helium liked you. He liked astir nobody."

Then, Trump took a changeable astatine MLB today, a merchandise helium isn’t fond of. 

"It would beryllium a World Series erstwhile shot was blistery – it’s not arsenic blistery now, I’ll beryllium honorable with you. They bash things wrong," Trump said, though not elaborating. "But erstwhile shot was blistery arsenic a pistol, I’d beryllium [with Steinbrenner] and I’d ticker the Yankees. They’d person 30 seats, and it would conscionable beryllium maine and him."

The deficiency of mentation from Trump tin lone pb to speculation astir wherefore helium doesn’t similar the athletics today, but determination are immoderate debates astir the crippled and however MLB runs its product.

Donald Trump, astatine the behest of Yankees' proprietor George Steinbrenner, speaks astatine the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Tampa's yearly Steak 'N' Burger payment astatine the Downtown Hyatt successful Tampa, Florida, Aug. 19, 1988. (Victor Junco/St. Petersburg Times)

Among them are large markets versus tiny markets, arsenic payrolls proceed to skyrocket without a wage cap. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the premier example, arsenic their spending spree continued this offseason aft defending their World Series rubric successful a thrilling seven-game bid with the Toronto Blue Jays past season.

But portion the Dodgers ain the league’s highest payroll ($396 million), the New York Mets ($368.66M), Yankees ($325.82M) and Philadelphia Phillies ($311.18M) are not excessively acold behind. But erstwhile they spell against teams similar the Miami Marlins ($78.11M), Cleveland Guardians ($94.75M) and Washington Nationals ($102.41M), the endowment spread tin sometimes pb to lopsided games. 

MLB has a captious twelvemonth ahead, though, arsenic that each could alteration if a wage headdress is implemented successful corporate bargaining statement negotiations. But it doesn’t look the MLB Players’ Association wants a headdress astatine all, which could pb to immoderate tense negotiations and a imaginable lockout with the existent CBA acceptable to expire astatine the extremity of the year. 

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred besides visited the White House successful April 2025, wherever helium and Trump discussed issues pertaining to baseball. Manfred’s accomplishment successful the nation’s superior came aft Trump said helium would pardon the precocious Pete Rose, MLB’s all-time hits leader, portion criticizing the league for barring him from the Hall of Fame owed to gambling. 

US President Donald Trump speaks during an lawsuit with Inter Miami CF successful the East Room of the White House successful Washington, DC, US, connected Thursday, March 5, 2026. Inter Miami CF is visiting the White House to observe their 2025 title win. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg)

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Rose was posthumously removed from MLB’s permanently ineligible database successful May 2025, allowing him to beryllium considered for the Hall of Fame. 

Before MLB kicks disconnected its 2026 season, the World Baseball Classic volition beryllium held arsenic games person already begun. Team USA, fielding 1 of its champion rosters ever, volition statesman its tourney connected Friday successful Houston against Team Brazil. 

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