President Trump welcomes the Boston Red Sox to the White House
Raw video: Members of the 2018 World Series champions gift President Trump a jersey during visit to the White House.
President Trump paid tribute to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday with a White House ceremony honoring the club’s 2018 World Series victory, but one MSNBC guest took a shot at the commander-in-chief over the celebration.
Ron Klain, the former chief of staff to former Vice Presidents Al Gore and Joe Biden, appeared on MSNBC and told anchor Nicole Wallace that championship visits to the White House are something that was supposed to bring the country together but the Red Sox’s visit was fostering division -- something the president deliberately harps on.
TRUMP HONORS 'VERY SPECIAL' WORLD SERIES CHAMPION RED SOX AT WHITE HOUSE
President Donald Trump shows off a Red Sox jersey presented to him during a ceremony welcoming the Boston Red Sox the 2018 World Series baseball champions to the White House. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
“Among the many, many sad chapters of Donald Trump is that he relishes in dividing us as a country. I bet he was happy today that he was able to say that the white players were here and the players of color weren’t,” Klain said as Wallace sat silently shaking her head.
Klain added: “It’s the kind of division he fosters deliberately. It’s the exact opposite of presidents – Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative – around these kinds of events.”
Trump made no mention of the players who didn’t show up to the ceremony. Manager Alex Cora, American League MVP Mookie Betts, outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., and pitcher David Price were among them. He described the Red Sox as an 'unstoppable' team who had a “spectacular victory.”
“Each Red Sox player is a shining example of excellence living out an American sporting tradition that goes back many generations,” Trump said, adding: “Through every pitch, inning, game, and series, the 2018 Red Sox never gave up and never backed down, always played like champions.”
President Trump was slammed by an MSNBC guest on Thursday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
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The Red Sox stressed that the clubhouse has not been divided on the issue; no player or coach was pressured to go, and players who chose not to attend stressed there would be no ill will toward those who attended. While Cora skipped the ceremony, Red Sox principal owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner, team president Sam Kennedy and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski occupied prominent places on the stage behind Trump.
Fox News’ Samuel Chamberlain contributed to this report.
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