President Donald Trump has been personally trolled on U.S. soil by the team that ended America’s World Cup assault.
Trump, 80, personally intervened after Team USA superstar Folarin Balogun was handed a red card and was set to miss Monday’s game against Belgium, played in Seattle.
After Trump contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who gave the U.S. president a Peace Prize last year, the suspension was reviewed and then overturned. It is the first time since 1962 that FIFA has overturned a suspension in the World Cup, and has led to questions of a conflict of interest over political intervention into sport.
However, despite Balogun controversially being able to play, the American team was soundly beaten, 4-1.
Footage widely posted on X shows Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku leading his team to imitate Trump’s awkward dance style after he scored the winning goal in the match.
The players formed a circle on the sideline and pumped their fists in and out, while keeping their feet planted on the ground, in a brief victory dance to reference the U.S. president.
Trump’s dance routine involves keeping the feet stationary while clenching the fist and swaying the hips side to side. He most frequently bust the move to the Village People’s “YMCA.”
The president was also mocked by his estranged niece Mary after the World Cup loss, as the term “Trump curse” began trending on X.
“The best US men’s team ever loses to Belgium,” Mary posted on X. “If they’d advanced, there would have been an asterisk next to their victory because of Donald’s interference.”
She added, “He casts a shadow over everything. He can only win if he cheats, and he thinks that applies to everybody else.” She ended her post imitating her uncle by stating it was “Sad.”
Morning Joe co-host Johnathan Lemire wrote after the loss, “It’s as if Belgium had motivation to humiliate the U.S. tonight.”
Progressive news outlet Meidas Touch also highlighted the “Trump curse.”
“Sports fans are calling it the Trump curse,” the outlet claimed, before listing the connection between sporting events Trump attended where a team he either supported or predicted would win actually lost, from the Super Bowl to the NBA finals.
Trump did not attend Monday’s game in Seattle, and was headed for a bilateral meeting in Turkey.
Speaking after the game, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said the team did not approach the match as they had other games in the World Cup. He also admitted, “We were never in the game.”
“Everyone saw from the beginning that we did not connect with the game. We were never in the game,” he said. “It was really tough from the beginning,” said Pochettino.
“I congratulate Belgium. They were better than us. It wasn’t our day.”
Trump is yet to comment on the U.S. loss. The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
