President Donald Trump welcomed the winners of the Little League World Series on stage at a “Keep America Great” rally in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on Friday evening.
“I’d like to welcome the winners of the 2019 Little League World Series Championships,” Trump said. “Look at these handsome kids. It drives me crazy how good looking they are.”
“They won! They’re the whole deal; they’re number one in the world,” Trump said, adding that he got so used to watching Japan win and it would always “be a bit controversial.”
“But this year, you have the world champions — Little League — from Louisiana,” Trump said to cheers in the audience.
The president then read each of the names of the players one by one, congratulating them on their big win.
“So congratulations to Will Andraide, Gavin Berry — come on up here kids — Jeffrey Curtis, Ryan Darrah, Derek Delatte, Marshall Louque, Connor Perrot, Ryder Planchard, Egan Prather, Reece Roussell, Alton Shorts, Peyton Spadoni, and Stan Wiltz.”
“Thank you all for the support,” one of the players said.
“So where’s this big pitcher?” Somebody’s gonna make a lot of money representing this guy.” “You ready for the major leagues someday?” Trump asked the pitcher, to which the pitcher modestly said, “yes.”
Trump first welcomed the team, the Louisiana Eastbank All Stars, on Air Force One earlier in the day after a planned visit to the White House.