Fact Check: Did Folarin Balogun say 'Long Live Trump' after his suspension was overturned?
WASHINGTON, DC: Following the controversies surrounding the reversal of Folarin Balogun’s red card, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that the US Soccer star praised President Donald Trump for his alleged involvement, sparking criticism and speculation. Let us analyze the origins of the viral claim and fact-check it.
Claim: Folarin Balogun praised Donald Trump for red card reversal
According to the viral claim that surfaced on X, Balogun praised Trump by saying, “Long live Trump, that’s my n****.”
The claim has been amplified by several accounts on X, with the original post garnering almost half a million views as of this writing.
The claim surfaced after Trump pushed to reverse the ban on Balogun, aimed at ensuring his participation in the match on Monday, July 6.
FIFA’s ruling is being termed shocking, citing a very rarely used bylaw to suspend the red card that was given to Balogun in his previous match between the US and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Fact Check: The claim originated from a parody account
The claim, however, is false as there is no evidence of Balogun explicitly making such a statement hailing President Trump.
A search on Google for the keywords ‘Balogun praises Trump,’ ‘Long live Trump Balogun,’ and ‘Balogun Trump’ yielded no credible results from prominent news or sports media outlets, which, if true, would not go unreported.
Additionally, the account that posted the claim is a parody account called ‘Hoops Crave,’ which describes itself in its bio as ‘Satire.’
A fact check by Grok AI stated, “The X post from the parody account @HoopsCrav is satirical and fabricates a quote from USMNT striker Folarin Balogun praising Trump with slang after his red-card suspension was overturned.”
Donald Trump praises FIFA for lifting Folarin Balogun ban
Trump celebrated FIFA’s decision to lift the ban on Balogun, lauding the move by describing it as an act to reverse injustice.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday afternoon, the president praised the shocking ruling that clears Balogun to play Monday night against Belgium in the pivotal Round of 16 World Cup match.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump wrote.
