'Disadvantage USA': Journalists join Dems in blasting Trump over reversal of Balogun's ban

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump's push to reverse the ban on American soccer player Folarin Balogun, aimed at ensuring his participation in the match on Monday, July 6, has now created controversy.

Several celebrated journalists and Democrats have blasted the president, describing the move as a potential scandal and as something that was intentionally done to disadvantage America.

Trump-FIFA Balogun decision sparks global backlash

The governing body FIFA, on Sunday, announced that Balogun’s suspension would be deferred for a one-year probationary period rather than immediately enforced, allowing the key US player to remain available for Monday night’s clash against Belgium.

The development came after Trump reportedly asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to rethink his decision to ban Balogun.

Following reports that Trump personally urged Infantino to reconsider the red card, prompting criticism to pour in.

Veteran journalist Piers Morgan, who has called himself a “friend” of Trump’s but not a MAGA supporter, criticized FIFA’s ruling, describing it as a potential scandal.

“This will be the biggest story, and potential scandal, of the World Cup,” Morgan wrote in an X post, sharing a post on Balogun’s ban suspension.

He also reshared the post regarding the subject and wrote in another X post, “Imagine if another Govt and world leader did this to disadvantage the USA.”

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof warned the move could have consequences for any future success the USMNT might have in the tournament.

“This will appear to the world as favoritism and as FIFA bowing to political influence. If the US wins, I fear that much of the world will see it as a win with an asterisk,” he wrote.

CNN journalist Donie O’Sullivan landed his own jab, saying, “Trump and FIFA are a match made in heaven.”

Mehdi Hassan, an independent and globally known journalist, mocked the move, sarcastically saying that the suspension of Balogun's ban was neither corruption nor bias.

"Totally normal and not corrupt or dodgy or biased at all," he wrote.

Democrats blast Trump for allegedly influencing FIFA's decision

Rep Ro Khanna (D-CA) flagged that Balogun was a US citizen through birthright citizenship, which Trump recently challenged in the Supreme Court, questioning what that meant for conservatives, a point echoed by other observers.

“Trump is willing to fight to reverse Balogun's red card suspension but wants to strip Americans like him,” he wrote. “It should now be obvious even to MAGA that Balogun is Team America.”

Donna Brazile, former chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), admitted that she was only learning the rules of soccer, but knew enough to call out the president’s interference.

She said it was horrible to involve the president in such a thing.

Prominent sports journalist Pablo Torre reshared Trump’s post celebrating the suspension of Balogun's ban and said that it was a "big win for birthright citizenship."

Trump celebrated the decision on Truth Social, writing: "Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice."

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