The Cubs visited the White House for the second time since winning last year's World Series and PRESIDENT TRUMP "welcomed 13 of 27 players on this road trip, plus manager JOE MADDON, about a dozen other coaches and staffers" and three members of ownership -- Chair TOM RICKETTS and co-Owners TODD and PETE RICKETTS, according to Lynn Sweet of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. The White House originally said that the event "would be closed to the press." But yesterday there was an "unexplained change, and reporters and photographers were allowed to cover a part of the visit." Trump "didn’t have much of anything Cubs- or baseball-specific to say." He did "josh a bit with Maddon." Many Ricketts family members are among the nation’s "biggest contributors to Republican candidates and causes." Trump highlighted how he "tapped Todd Ricketts to be his deputy commerce secretary, only to have him withdraw his nomination in April, unable to unravel his complex finances." Todd Ricketts got yesterday's visit in the "pipeline when he was at a White House briefing earlier this month with a group of other top donors" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/29). The AP's Stephen Whyno noted Trump "took photos with the World Series trophy and a Cubs jersey with his name and No. 45 ... in gold on the back." Also in the room for Trump's photo-op with the team were Cavaliers Owner DAN GILBERT and National Intelligence Dir DAN COATS, who is a "die-hard" Cubs fan. Cubs GM JED HOYER noted that there "weren't a lot of private moments" with Trump like during the visit with PRESIDENT OBAMA in January (AP, 6/28). The visit with Obama included 21 Cubs players (THE DAILY).
FANCY SEEING YOU HERE: In Akron, Marla Ridenour notes Gilbert was at the White House with Quicken Loans CEO JAY FARNER to "share the story of Detroit's and Cleveland's transformation." Gilbert's visit was "criticized on social media," as the Cavs are still in search of a president of basketball operations (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 6/29). ESPN's Brian Windhorst said, "Forget about the politics of it. He doesn’t have a general manager. He's supposed to be trading for (Pacers F) PAUL GEORGE right now. ... It's a terrible look. The NBA players are going crazy about this.” ESPN’s Rachel Nichols: “The optics are awful” (“The Jump,” ESPN, 6/28).
