JT Batson, the chief executive of US Soccer, sidestepped questions about whether the federation regretted Donald Trump's intervention in Folarin Balogun's red card dispute during the World Cup this summer, instead pivoting to praise for fan support.
The controversy centers on Trump's lobbying efforts with Fifa president Gianni Infantino ahead of the US knockout match against Belgium. Before that game, Trump publicly acknowledged making multiple calls to Infantino seeking a review of Balogun's sending-off from the earlier match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Fifa later suspended the one-match ban but denied that the presidential pressure influenced the decision.
Speaking at a media roundtable Thursday alongside COO Dan Helfrich and Fifa development chief Arsene Wenger, Batson deflected when asked if the federation had misgivings about Trump's role. "The president is able to do what the president wants to do," Batson said. "The president is the president of the United States. Obviously we're incredibly grateful for all the support, for all of our fans across the country."
When a reporter pressed further on the specific question of regrets, Batson did not engage substantively. Instead, he characterized the public reaction to Balogun's dismissal as evidence of soccer's growing prominence in American sports culture.
The roundtable ended abruptly after roughly 50 minutes, cutting short what had been scheduled as a full hour. When asked again about federation regrets, Batson said simply, "We're done, we gotta go. I'm sorry."
Balogun's red card came after he accidentally stepped on an opponent's ankle during a challenge for possession. The initial call appeared harsh to most observers, and both Trump and US Soccer pursued avenues for relief. Though the ban was ultimately suspended, allowing Balogun to play against Belgium, the distraction may have contributed to the US's lopsided 4-1 loss to the Belgian side.
Balogun addressed the ordeal in a television interview with CBS earlier this week, describing it as difficult noise to tune out. "I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it was something that's so unique," he told CBS Mornings. "But the closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could."
Author James Rodriguez: "Batson's evasion speaks volumes, and the truncated press conference doesn't help the federation's case that this was all handled appropriately."
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