NPR Code Switch is reporting on the intersection of President Donald J Trump's administration policies and major sporting events. It said President Trump was met with boos when he attended a New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden earlier this week, an incident he later denied. Many Knicks fans also felt his presence jinxed the team, which had not lost in nearly two months before his visit.
The report highlights how the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies are affecting the World Cup, which is being held in the U.S. Haiti, qualifying for the first time in over 50 years, is among more than three dozen countries on the Trump administration's travel ban list, preventing its fans from attending. NPR Code Switch said an Iraqi national team member was detained for seven hours upon arrival in the U.S., and a highly regarded Somali referee, slated to be the first from his country to officiate a World Cup match, had his visa revoked due to alleged “terror ties” by the White House. Numerous fans are experiencing last-minute visa revocations, and journalists from certain countries have not been cleared to cover the tournament.
FIFA, the international soccer governing body, is not expressing concern over fans being locked out, as it anticipates this World Cup will be its most lucrative, projected to bring in $13 billion. NPR Code Switch noted FIFA's reputation as a “cartoonishly shady, borderline criminal organization,” citing past controversies such as the Qatar World Cup and a “FIFA Peace Prize” bestowed upon President Trump. The report suggests FIFA's stance is influenced by the U.S.'s power to prosecute its officials and its desire to expand soccer's presence and revenue potential in the U.S. A similar scenario is expected for the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in just over two summers.
NPR Code Switch also mentioned that the Department of Justice created a $1.776 billion fund to compensate January 6 defendants. It said this fund may not survive, but the federal redress system it accessed, built by Native nations, remains intact.