All posts tagged "World Cup"

Political commentator Van Jones on Monday suggested that President Donald Trump should keep his distance from the professional sports world.

Jones joined CNN anchor Erin Burnett and commentator Gretchen Carlson during a live segment to discuss Trump's appearance at the FIFA World Cup final, where he had an awkward moment standing on the stage as Spain celebrated its win over Argentina and was booed by the crowd.

"He's just not very popular," Jones said. "He just needs to stay out of sports. Anytime he gets involved with sports, something terrible happens. It's like a curse. The only time that the Knicks lost was when he showed up." Jones was referring to Game 3 of the NBA Finals in June that Trump attended at Madison Square Garden. ...

Former Trump official and now vocal critic Miles Taylor warned Tuesday that President Donald Trump's intrusion into FIFA revealed a troubling trend inside the White House.

In an analysis piece for The i Paper, Taylor described how Trump's past behavior has demonstrated how the president always tries to get his way — even when it comes to the World Cup.

"None of this surprised me, because I saw how Trump dealt with 'referees' when I worked for him at the Department of Homeland Security, especially the referees of our democracy, the judges," Taylor wrote. "In his first term, the pattern was too obvious to ignore. He would intimidate them publicly on social media, work the higher-ups privately, and when the rulings still went against him, attack the legitimacy of the refs’ robes."...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened to escalate the controversy over President Donald Trump's intervention in a U.S, soccer player's suspension by using an upcoming NATO summit to focus on it.

While meeting with Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Perez Mackenna on Monday, Rubio was asked about Belgium's appeal of FIFA's decision to reverse U.S. player Folarin Balogun's suspension ahead of the World Cup match with Belgium.

"It was a bad decision," Rubio said of the suspension. "I think it was the right decision to reverse it."...

The internet was stunned Thursday when a Trump administration official declared that World Cup visitors could have the "extraordinary" experience of sitting in a car and eating fast food while talking on the phone.

NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker made the stunning statement about people enjoying the "real America" during a Fox News interview, The Daily Beast reported. Whitaker joined "Fox & Friends," and host Brian Kilmeade asked what foreign visitors had thought of America so far.

"People are enjoying the United States of America because it’s an awesome place, and we have extraordinary things like Buc-ee’s, like Chick-fil-A ... just some very convenient places to eat in your car as you’re having a phone call," Whitaker said. ...

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) confused World Cup soccer and hockey during a live broadcast Friday on Fox News — and the internet didn't miss it.

Jordan apparently mixed up the current FIFA World Cup with MMA and hockey, confusing the sports events in the interview. He was asked about the upcoming match between Team USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1.

"I hope we go all the way to the championship and win it," Jordan said. "Golly, I mean, we're on a run. Look at the UFC fight where the American beat the Spanish guy in the main event. We're on a roll so let's hope the hockey team can do the same."...

World Cup audiences showed their anger with the United States by booing renditions of the Star-Spangled Banner.

Canadian spectators at a watch party jeered nonstop during the U.S. National Anthem at the opening of the U.S. versus Paraguay match in Los Angeles, according to a social media video.

Those boos followed heckling and hissing as the U.S. flag came out during the opening ceremony of the Canada versus Bosnia match in Toronto earlier in the day, per more video....