Viral video shows fan kicked out of soccer game over MAGA hat, Internet says 'the hate is palpable'

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI: A fan wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat was asked to leave a Major League Soccer game at Energizer Park, sparking viral outrage and renewed debate over political expression at sporting events.

The man, who identified himself as Michael Weitzel, filmed the entire incident and posted it on social media, where it quickly gained traction among conservative circles. The matter is now reportedly under review by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

Video of MAGA hat ejection goes viral

In the now-viral video, which has racked up more than 4.5 million views on X, Michael Weitzel narrates his encounter with security and local police at the St Louis City SC home game.

“I am Michael Weitzel, and I have been asked to leave because of the Donald Trump hat,” he says in the clip, filmed at Energizer Park.

One security staff member tells Weitzel, “They’re non-political here… they don’t want any kind of political,” while others warn he could be “escorted out in handcuffs” if he refuses to leave. 

Weitzel pointed to other attendees waving various flags, claiming inconsistent enforcement of the rules. In response, an officer says those flags were “pre-approved.”

When asked if removing the hat would allow him to stay, one official replies, “If you take the hat off, you can go back in.” Weitzel briefly complies, then puts the hat back on after being told, “We are way past that point.”

“So this is what happens when you wear a Donald Trump hat at a St Louis City SC game,” he concludes in the video. 

According to stadium policy, political banners are not allowed, though there is no explicit mention of hats. Weitzel and several conservative figures have argued this amounts to selective enforcement.

Gregg Keller, former executive director of the American Conservative Union, posted the video July 3, claiming: “A man got kicked out of a @stlCITYsc game last night for wearing a MAGA hat… They didn’t like that either,” referencing Weitzel’s challenge about pride and trans flags.

Keller later claimed the matter is “now being looked at by the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice.”

Viral backlash over Donald Trump hat ejection, calls for fair enforcement

The video of Michael Weitzel being escorted out has gone viral, sparking intense backlash across social media. Viewers accused the stadium of inconsistently enforcing its political paraphernalia policy, pointing to the presence of Pride and trans flags at previous games.

"Why would you do this, knowing this would be the outcome?" one user asked.

"Why? I love free speech too too, but with the tension in this country, you're inviting trouble. TDS is real, and the hate is palpable."

"If this is their policy, fine. But enforce it for ALL the fans. Remove the Pride and trans flags too," another user wrote.

"This is gross. What happened to freedom of speech? It makes me think this guy was doing something else to offend people before the camera was rolling. If his only crime was wearing this hat, he should be given a refund at a minimum," one commenter added.

Another user weighed in: "It's not a Donald Trump hat per se, it's a bunch of words. Feel bad you had to go through that."

Despite the viral momentum and growing calls for clarification, neither St Louis City SC, the stadium, nor Major League Soccer had issued a public response as of Sunday evening.

Weitzel, who describes himself as a Trump supporter, insisted in the video that he was unfairly targeted: “Trump is not welcome in St Louis City SC Club.”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.