Trump said if USA had lost to Belgium without Balogun he’d have claimed it was “rigged like the election in 2020” – 18 shots to the back of the net
The USA is out of the World Cup, along with the other two host countries, Canada and Mexico. The world was almost unanimously ecstatic about it, thanks to Donald Trump pulling strings to get an American player’s red card overturned.
Trump: "He gave [Balogun] a red card. I didn't know what that meant. I didn't think it meant much. Then I started hearing that means you can't play in the next game…How do you penalize them for a game that hasn't been played yet? It's very unfair…I asked for a review by FIFA." pic.twitter.com/sTTMF45doh
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) July 6, 2026
Ahead of kick-off, Trump was talking about the red card, claiming it would have amounted to rigging the match, had it not been suspended for one year. Here’s what he actually said.
Trump: The game tonight is gonna be amazing. If they beat us we'll say it was rigged just like the election in 2020 pic.twitter.com/HKWd31owUn
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) July 6, 2026
“If they beat us, I’ll say it was rigged, just like the election in 2020.”
A lot of people thought it sounded very much like he was telling on himself.
1.
Really shouting the quiet part out loud here: https://t.co/Po2TLNoCg4
— Melanie D'Arrigo (@DarrigoMelanie) July 6, 2026
2.
Trump actually said that Belgium can now be proud if they beat the US tonight, but if Balogun had still been out and the US lost, he would say it was rigged like he does about the (free and fair) 2020 election.
This may or may not conclude my red card tweeting https://t.co/zNHg4rImwo
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 6, 2026
3.
He makes a mockery of democracy, then does the same for sports.
This is the "American values" that nativists want to protect from the influence of immigrants. https://t.co/8IpTk0vKsq
— Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) July 6, 2026
4.
Well I'm glad that's been put to bed then:
There was no rigged election, it was just because he lost.
— jord (@jordw21) July 6, 2026
5.
He simply can never not cheat in any scenario no matter what the circumstances are. https://t.co/OtXRddMGcL
— Andrew—#IAmTheResistance (@AmoneyResists) July 6, 2026
6.
The guy can’t do anything on earth without cheating and pretending that’s what is being done to him. https://t.co/izcwTA4JPc
— Luke Thomas Gets Political (LTGP) (@LTGetsPolitical) July 6, 2026
7.
Yes, Mr. President.
Yes, it would be exactly like that. https://t.co/OgR3CIq8Ql
— Terry Moran 🇺🇸 (@TerryMoran) July 6, 2026
8.
Ted Cruz smiling in the back like the useful idiot he is https://t.co/Dvjje0XKb3
— Ally Sammarco (@Ally_Sammarco) July 6, 2026
9.
He's not kidding. https://t.co/PS6ycYfF9r
— Pradheep J. Shanker, M.D. (@neoavatara) July 6, 2026