US Soccer Federation chief executive JT Batson made his first public remarks Thursday regarding the controversy over Donald Trump's involvement in this summer's World Cup. During a media roundtable with US Soccer COO Dan Helfrich and FIFA head of global football development Arsène Wenger, Batson was asked about the federation's stance on Trump's lobbying that led to the reversal of Folarin Balogun's red card.
Batson focuses on fan support
Before the US-Belgium last-16 match, Trump revealed he made several calls to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, lobbying for a review of Balogun's red card from the previous match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. FIFA eventually suspended the ban, denying Trump's calls influenced the decision. When asked about regrets, Batson highlighted the "incredible support" from American fans and said the public outcry reflects soccer's growing place in US sports.
President's prerogative defended
Pressed further, Batson stated: "The president is able to do what the president wants to do. The president is the president of the United States. Obviously we're incredibly grateful for all the support, for all of our fans across the country, wherever they are and we're excited about that." When the Guardian asked again about regrets, the roundtable ended after 50 minutes, short of the agreed hour. Batson said, "We're done, we gotta go. I'm sorry."
Balogun's red card and aftermath
Balogun received the red card for inadvertently stepping on a Bosnian player's ankle. After lobbying from Trump and US Soccer, his one-match ban was suspended, sparking widespread discourse. Most observers agreed the initial call was harsh. Balogun handled the situation gracefully, noting FIFA had no appeal mechanism for red cards during the World Cup. Ultimately, the US lost 4-1 to Belgium, leading some to speculate the ordeal was a distraction.
Balogun told CBS Mornings: "I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it was something that's so unique. But the closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could." He described the situation as "a lot of outside noise, and that's hard to avoid."
