President Trump Addresses FIFA Controversy From Oval Office

In a shocking move at the Oval Office, President Trump addressed the controversy surrounding the FIFA World Cup red card. Trump confirmed that he spoke to FIFA President Gianni Infantino about reviewing the red card suspension of U.S. soccer superstar Folarin Balogun. 

As reported by The New York Post:

President Trump asked FIFA’s president to review the red-card suspension of the US men’s team’s breakout star – before the organization shockingly announced he could play in Monday’s do-or-die game against Belgium, The Post has confirmed.

Trump reached out to FIFA president Gianni Infantino directly to ask him to take a second look at US star Folarin Balogun’s suspension that came as a result of controversial red card in the the national team’s Round of 32 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina, a US official confirmed to The Post.

“The President and Infantino did speak, and the President wanted to better understand the reason why a red card was given and why there was a suspension,” the official told The Post.

The Trump administration was even prepared to pair White House attorneys with the US Soccer’s legal team if needed, sources said.

The attorneys had talked about bringing in the global Court of Arbitration for Sport, which may have had oversight to finalize a legal resolution about the controversial card, which was handed down after a slow-motion replay showed the US star stepped on the right ankle of defender Tarik Muharemović.

The president’s gambit paid off, as FIFA rolled back the suspension on Sunday, allowing Balogun to play in the World Cup Round of 16 match on Monday, in a move that riled opponents who claimed the move contradicted established red-card rules.

Under Article 10.5 of FIFA’s rules for the World Cup, the US striker would be automatically suspended for the next match after receiving the red card.

But FIFA stunningly reversed its decision, for the first time since 1962, following outreach from the Trump administration.

So President Trump is now attached to a new controversy after speaking with FIFA. We do know Trump has a history with FIFA after being named a FIFA Peace Prize award winner. And everyone I know who watches soccer regularly agreed that it should not have been a red card.

Now, obviously, tonight’s match with Belgium is a big game, and we want to be at full strength on the pitch. I think President Trump realized the significance of a World Cup win for the USMNT as well as for America in general – especially at a time when many people want to see the U.S. fail in general. A resounding World Cup victory could mean more than just a soccer game. And it’s not hard to imagine that may have inspired the President to get involved.

As Trump explained during this morning’s address:

So, I saw the play. And I’m a person that loves sports and was a good athlete. And I understand sports really well. And that wasn't a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction. That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other. You can’t take your foot and properly place it on somebody else’s foot. No, these were two great athletes that got tangled up, and this referee, who is a little bit suspect if you check his past, . . . he made a call that nobody could believe. When you see it in fast motion it will look like two guys collided, which is really what happened. They got sort of entangled. But how do you penalize them for a game that hasn’t even been played yet? It’s very unfair. You can’t do that. So, yes, I asked for a review by FIFA. All I did – I asked for a review because I didn’t think it was a foul.

Trump said he only requested a review – he didn’t tell anyone to overturn it or try to pressure anyone. The irony now is, while some on the Left don’t want the United States to be doing well in the first place, the reality is the World Cup has been great PR for our country.

Even if our team doesn’t win, the whole event has proven to be a cultural success. You go to Europe, or to the UK, and turn on the news, and they’re talking about Donald Trump. Liberals are warning people about traveling to America. But now you have these international soccer fans who’ve come  here, and they can’t believe how wrong they were. The biggest reaction seems to continually be what we already knew: “We were lied to – Americans are actually nice.”

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more analysis of President Trump’s involvement with the World Cup and the red card issue. We were also joined by the head of ACLJ Jerusalem, Jeff Ballabon, to discuss the far Left “looking for guidance” on Israel.

Watch the full broadcast below: