Don Garber's X account posted a blunt attack on British Columbia Premier David Eby on Wednesday evening, calling him a liar just hours after Eby pledged to fight for the Whitecaps. Within an hour, the post vanished, replaced by Garber's explanation that his account had been compromised.
The exchange erupted in the middle of a high-stakes standoff over Vancouver's MLS franchise. The Whitecaps have spent months warning they may relocate to Las Vegas or Phoenix unless their financial situation improves, with the team's ownership blaming a crushing lease agreement with BC Place, the province-owned stadium.
Eby posted a video on Thursday telling Whitecaps fans the government was "fighting hard to save the Whitecaps." Four hours later, Garber's account fired back with a childish taunt: "Liar liar pants on fire." The timestamp showed 8pm Pacific time.
By 10pm, Garber had posted a new message claiming his account was hacked and praising Eby for meeting with him. MLS communications executive Dan Courtemanche reinforced the claim on X, telling fans Garber had been "hacked."
Garber was at dinner with US Soccer leadership when the offensive post went live, according to a source with direct knowledge of the incident. The MLS commissioner, like most high-profile sports figures, does not personally manage his social media. He hasn't directly replied to an X post in years.
The Whitecaps have been locked in negotiations with provincial leaders all week. Garber was in Vancouver for FIFA's congress, where he spent time with government officials discussing the team's future. The situation has deteriorated rapidly in recent months as ownership repeatedly claims strong interest from local buyers, yet no formal offers have materialized.
The core problem remains the team's lease with PavCo, the crown corporation that runs BC Place. Even after a recent renegotiation, Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster told the Guardian the deal falls short. "I take every dollar that can better our situation but it's not the gamechanger for us," he said.
The franchise and the city have a memorandum of understanding for a soccer-specific stadium, but local leaders say construction could take years. Schuster described the site as "challenging" and said it would require far more than the Whitecaps alone could deliver.
Author James Rodriguez: "Whether Garber's account was actually compromised or not, the explosive language reflected real tension beneath the diplomatic veneer."
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