NFL Analyst Lashes Out At Donald Trump Following USMNT’s FIFA Heartbreak

The FIFA World Cup saw two of its host nations, Canada and Mexico, bow out in recent days. However, for the people of the United States of America, there was still hope. After all, with ‘Captain America’ Christian Pulisic carrying the hopes of the nation, fans were eager to see the USMNT get over Belgium. Unfortunately, as the final whistle of the round of 16 game blew, things fell apart. Belgium thrashed the USA 1-4. And the criticisms came flowing in; NFL analyst Nikki Gist fired back at the country’s President, Donald Trump.

The POTUS grabbed the FIFA headlines involving a red card suspension of Folarin Balogun. While taking on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Balogun made a rash tackle on Tarik Muharemovic. The referee immediately showed a red card, meaning the USMNT star would have to sit out against Belgium in the Round of 16. It was then that the plot changed dramatically. Trump claimed to have had a chat with the FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, which led to the reversal of the red card.

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Now then, while such a development is supposed to make the US fans happy, Gist seems to be adapting a new narrative. Referring to the superstition that things go awry the moment Trump gets involved with a team or a player, the NFL analyst wrote on her X account, “I’m just gonna say it because someone has to. Whenever Trump gets involved in a sport it all goes downhill from there.”

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It is well known that Trump has a strong affinity for sports. Previously, he has been spotted regularly at major UFC events. He even allowed Dana White to execute a UFC event (UFC Freedom 250) on the White House lawn. And that was not all. The POTUS also paid a visit to Madison Square Garden when the New York Knicks took on the San Antonio Spurs in last season’s NBA Finals.

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Interestingly, despite the interference from Trump, Balogun failed to make a decisive impact on the game. His lack of form, coupled with Pulisic leaving the game with an injury at the 59-minute mark, meant that the USMNT’s dreams of setting up a quarterfinal date with Spain got buried. Meanwhile, Gist is not the first person to take offense at Trump getting involved in sports.

The New York Knicks were not the favorites against Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. However, following some heroic performances from Jalen Brunson, New York secured a 2-0 lead after the first couple of games. Coming to their home turf, the Knicks were eager to make it 3-0. Ahead of the game, the President announced he would visit the venue to watch Game 3 live.

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Instantly, renowned NBA personality Smith offered some honest advice. He asked the POTUS not to attend the game, as Smith believed his presence would have disrupted the atmosphere. The NBA analyst said, “This is about an individual engaging in a level of narcissism that really rakes my freakin’ nerves. He’s got no business here tonight. It has nothing to do with politics. It was everything to do with the fervor that exists around the New York Knicks, and he is disrupting everything the Knicks have been vibing with.”

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Ultimately, Smith’s statement proved futile as Trump did attend the gala event with his granddaughter, Kai Trump. Unfortunately, the Knicks lost the game 111-115, and the President was greeted with boos from the crowd.