SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
Donald Trump lifted the lid on how power works – at least in his America, and the world of FIFA – in his candid account of calling Gianni Infantino to “request” a review of Folarin Balogun’s red card.
It is hardly a shock. This is Trump’s America. And this is FIFA – the same organisation that created the ridiculous “FIFA Peace Prize” last year to further stroke the US president’s ego. Still, sometimes it’s a shock to see it executed so blatantly, and with such little attempt to hide it.
Sure, maybe Trump didn’t directly order Infantino to overturn Balogun’s suspension. “I can’t tell him what to do,” he said. He was at least vaguely aware of the impropriety of the whole affair.
But when the President of the United States – the host for the rest of the World Cup – rings you up and makes it clear what he wants, he doesn’t need to say it twice. Especially when it’s Infantino on the other end of the line.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee says it independently decided to suspend the implementation of Balogun’s one-match suspension, using its powers under Article 27 of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code.
Even if that’s true, the phone call – and Trump’s account of it – makes it nearly impossible to accept.
But it was instructive as to Trump’s world view. Not only did he express contempt for the concept of a one-match suspension (“You can’t do that,” he said), he seemed to argue that it shouldn’t apply to Balogun because he was one of the US’ best players. To sideline a top player would put a “big stain” on the competition, Trump said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a similar argument. He told reporters if Balogun didn’t play and Belgium won, it would “taint” the victory. Belgium should want him to play, Rubio said.
Never mind how his presence on the field might “taint” a US win. In Trump’s America, there is one rule for the elite – the “best” – and another rule for everyone else.
The US president also made a point of mentioning how successful the US-hosted World Cup had been – in particular the massive crowds and TV audiences. That might be true, but he seemed to suggest the US’ role as a host should earn it a reprieve when it came to Balogun’s suspension.
There is also certain irony in Trump’s attempt to protect the American star forward from the rules.
Folarin Balogun was born in New York City in 2001, to Nigerian parents. They were not immigrants – they were visiting the United States. Reportedly, his mother was told she was too heavily pregnant to fly home to London.
Balogun was born in a Brooklyn hospital – and as such, he is an American citizen. That is why he is eligible to play for the US Men’s National Team.
This is birthright citizenship, protected by the 14th Amendment since 1868, and now affirmed – albeit narrowly – by the most conservative US Supreme Court in a century.
But if Trump had his way, Balogun would not be an American citizen, and would not be able to play for the US soccer team at all.
The president has been campaigning to end birthright citizenship since his first term, though he only tried to do something about it in his second.
Last week, the nation’s high court narrowly found it would be unconstitutional to strip away birthright citizenship in the manner of Trump’s executive order.
That’s not to say he doesn’t have a normative case. Most countries don’t grant birthright citizenship. Australia doesn’t. According to the Pew Research Centre, only 32 other countries do so in the rather generous manner of the US.
Trump was entitled to take his executive order to the Supreme Court, have it tested and accept the result (as he has done, begrudgingly).
And Balogun – despite his prowess – is hardly the best argument for birthright citizenship. He is an accidental American, born there by circumstance, not because one or both of his parents sought a better life in the US, scrapping and toiling as generations of immigrants have done.
Still, proponents of birthright citizenship might point to Balogun and ask what other talents the country would forgo if the system were changed.
And there is a dose of irony in Trump intervening to save this guy from the rule book when, if the president wrote the citizenship rules, he wouldn’t be kicking goals for America in the first place.
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Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political reporter in Canberra.Connect via X or email.
