July 6, 2026 - Trump's Call Clears Balogun for USA

Full confession: this World Cup has cemented me as a soccer fan. Growing up, I didn't respect the sport. Well, I was wrong. And I know I'm not alone. What a privilege for me to have attended three matches in this World Cup - Switzerland-Qatar in the Bay Area, Croatia-Ghana in Philadelphia, and on July 4th, France-Paraguay also in the City of the Brotherly Love. Why the conversion? I've come to see the beauty, the athleticism in the sport. And I now see the World Cup as the greatest mingle on the planet! People of diverse backgrounds united over a common experience. That is the definition of the Mingle Project.

All the while, I've kept my eye on Team USA. So I was watching Wednesday when Folarin Balogun - Brooklyn-born to Nigerian parents, London-raised, an American by birthright who chose our stripes - scored against Bosnia and Herzegovina, celebrated with LeBron's "Silencer," and then got a straight red card. When Balogun was shown that card, a record 24.4 million Americans were watching on Fox platforms - the most-watched soccer telecast in English-language U.S. history, peaking at nearly 32 million - and that's before counting the 9.1 million more on Telemundo. It looked unintentional to me. A bad call. US coach Mauricio Pochettino said 99.9 percent agree. The penalty: an automatic suspension for Monday's Round of 16 match against Belgium.

Then, Sunday, a stunner. FIFA invoked an obscure rule and put the ban on probation. Balogun plays. Here's the rub: CNN reports President Trump had called FIFA President Gianni Infantino - his friend - and asked him to review the call. Belgium is furious, and its federation is weighing options.

My tension: the call was unfair. It deserved reversal. If I could have phoned FIFA, I would have. But Pew says Trump carries a 76 percent global disapproval rating, and now every Team USA win may carry an asterisk in the court of world opinion - a reprieve delivered not by the rulebook but by the White House.

Trump's sentiment was right. But should he have made the call? That's today's poll question and it's a tough call.

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FIFA invoked a rarely used rule to suspend Folarin Balogun's automatic one-match ban ahead of the USA's Round of 16 clash with Belgium, a reversal that came days after President Donald Trump personally urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the red card.

CNN

England survived playing with 10 men for more than half an hour as Jude Bellingham's brace and Harry Kane's penalty sealed a thrilling 3-2 victory over Mexico at a raucous Estadio Azteca, sending the Three Lions into the World Cup quarterfinals against Norway.

ESPN

Iran's leaders projected unity at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral as his newly appointed son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, remained in hiding while Iran delayed U.S. negotiations, with some mourners calling for President Trump's assassination and renewed revenge against America and Israel.

Associated Press

President Trump is making attacks on Democrats as "godless communists" a centerpiece of his 2026 midterm strategy, betting voters will focus on the party's leftward shift even as many Americans remain more concerned about the economy and affordability.

USA Today

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Axios

Will Leitch argues that the World Cup's penalty shootout — soccer's most dramatic tiebreaker — is an arbitrary, luck-driven way to end a hard-fought match, and that its randomness mirrors the way chance shapes far more of life than we care to admit.

The Washington Post

President Donald Trump reportedly offered to help broker a settlement to the war in Ukraine during a nearly 90-minute call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as both the Kremlin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said they plan to continue discussions at next week's NATO summit.

The Moscow Times

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The Wall Street Journal

Michael Cohen, President Trump's former lawyer and fixer turned star witness against him, has landed a Sunday host slot at 770 WABC radio, with owner John Catsimatidis saying he cleared the hire with the White House as Cohen publicly warms back up to Trump.

New York Post

NCAA President Charlie Baker says he wants to dramatically limit or eliminate prop betting at the collegiate level, arguing it demeans student athletes who face abuse from bettors demanding specific in-game outcomes.

CBS News