How petty has the Media Research Center’s criticism of how the World Cup wasn’t sufficiently pro-Trump become? Tim Graham spent a June 29 post whining that the New York Times pointed out false stories among the foreign World Cup visitors saying good things about American food — but at no point did he disprove anything in the article.
When FIFA reversed a red-card ruling against a member of the3 U.S. team, reportedly on Trump’s demand, the Trump defense hit a new level. Curtis Houck huffed in a July 6 post:
Monday’s CBS Mornings went all-in on jabbing the U.S. Men’s National Team hours before its World Cup Round of 16 match against Belgium, declaring the team is now surrounded by “outrage” after FIFA overturned star Folarin Balogun’s controversial July 1 red card, declaring they’re now “tainted” with a “stigma” and an future victories will come with an “asterisk” because they’ve “destroy[ed] the integrity of the competition.”
Add in the fact there was a call last week from President Trump to FIFA boss Gianni Infantino wondering about if a review was possible and the liberal, elite media now have all the excuses they need to root against the United States (though, to be clear, CBS insisted they’re still hoping they win).
Co-host Gayle King was burying the U.S. from the get-go, declaring in two opening teases about “the stunning reversal” having “caus[ed] a lot of outrage” as “President Trump helped overturn” the original “controversial decision.”
Moments later, King promised the show would soon be “talking about the red card reversal because people have got lots of thoughts about that.”
The idea fans (or any American) would be thrilled by this was largely absent from the ten-minute-plus coverage.
At no point did Houck argue that Balogun’s red card wasn’t justified in the first place.
Comedy cop Alex Christy similarly complained — and defended Trump:
Actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish kicked off ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s guest-hosted summertime shows on Monday by claiming that opposition to Team USA striker Folarin Balogun’s red card was the first time President Trump has “ever defended a black person.” Similarly, when weather delayed Trump’s 4th of July festivities, Haddish found it ironic that the MAGA crowds had to take shelter in the African American History Museum.
[…]It is true that Trump called FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, but there is no compelling evidence to suggest that is the reason why Balogun was allowed to play. Furthermore, Trump has appointed black people to cabinet positions in both terms and endorsed them in primary elections, but since when has Jimmy Kimmel Live! let facts get in the way of a quick cheap shot?
[…]Only someone who believes the most cartoonish of caricatures about conservatives would believe they don’t know who Frederick Douglass is or suggest that they support Trump because they are all descendants of slave owners that could make them distantly related to Douglass’s white father.
Aftert the U.S. team lost its next game anyway, Christy was still defending Trump in a July 8 post:
On Monday, Team USA suffered a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the World Cup, and on Tuesday the late night comedy shows knew who to blame: President Trump.
On Comedy Central, The Daily Show host-of-the-week Ronny Chieng reacted to short clips that he put together in a montage to suggest Trump was the reason why Folarin Balogun was allowed to play despite being given a red card in the previous round. Flipping the double bird, Chieng declared, “This is America, bitch. The land of the Karen. And when life hands us lemons, we call life’s manager and say, take these lemons back and let Balogun play. And of course, the rest of the world started complaining, saying it wasn’t fair, asking why President Trump gets to pull strings. Well, there’s a good reason why.”
In a clip, Trump was shown claiming, “I’m a person that loves sports and was a good athlete. And I understand sports really well. Really well. And that wasn’t a foul.”
Chieng reacted by purposely mispronouncing some words to mock Trump while teeing up a second clip, “See, you heard it from him. You heard it from him. That wasn’t a foul. President Trump understands sports, okay? It’s in his je’nome. Sports is deep in his d’nay. So I think he knows what a red card is..”
In the second clip, Trump added, “I didn’t know what the hell a red card was. When I found out, I said, ‘You got to be kidding.’”
Chieng reacted with more America bashing, “Psych! This man didn’t know what a red card is. But you know what he did know? How to get a guy a pardon. Yeah! And if you’re thinking this is corrupt, well, [bleep] yeah, it is! That’s America’s style of play. You think we’re going to obey soccer rules? We don’t even listen to the Geneva Convention.”
[…]It is not disputed that Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino had a conversation, but there is no evidence to suggest Trump is the reason why Balogun was allowed to play. FIFA set the precedent for the reversing red card suspensions earlier in the tournament. The U.S. lost because Belgium was simply the better team. There’s no need to make everything about Trump.
However, Christy didn’t disprove the idea that Trump is the reason why Balogun was allowed to play. He also failed to mention the fact that FIFA gave a newly created “peace prize” to Trump during the draw for the World Cup, which seems like contributing evidence to FIFA being subservient to Trump’s every whim.