Mamdani Dodges When Pressed On Trump-Red Card Scandal: ‘It Was a Cruel Red Card’

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) declined to weigh in on President Donald Trump’s intervention in the Folarin Balogun red card controversy on Tuesday, instead insisting the USMNT striker “should have never been given that red card.”

Mamdani was asked during a Monday press conference whether Trump had “gone out of bounds” by reportedly urging FIFA President Gianni Infantino to revisit Balogun’s suspension.

Instead of addressing Trump’s involvement directly, Mamdani pivoted to criticizing the original decision.

“Look, I think as someone rooting for the U.S. Men’s National Team, I think that Folarin Balogun should have never been given that red card. I thought it was a cruel red card,” Mamdani said.

He continued by reflecting on the national team’s World Cup run, saying: “I also spent most of my time just thinking about the game and I think I will echo the sentiments of many that it was very difficult night and yet the difficulty doesn’t take away from our pride in the players, our pride and the team and in the fact that across the nation people were united by not only an appreciation of what we’ve seen out there over the last few weeks but also a recognition of the fact that we, too, are a soccer country and we’re so excited to see what that’s going to look like in the days and weeks and months and years to come and that’s true for men’s soccer, it’s true for women’s soccer and it’s really exciting that in the midst of the height of World Cup excitement we’re making an investment that is going to outlast just these few weeks.”

The exchange came after reports that FIFA announced Sunday it would defer Balogun’s suspension under a one-year probationary period, allowing the striker to remain eligible for Monday night’s knockout match against Belgium. The move reportedly followed a request from Trump that Infantino reconsider the penalty, according to a source briefed on the call, which Trump later confirmed.

Balogun had been shown a red card after a VAR review in the USMNT’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, with officials ruling he had planted his foot on defender Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle. U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino argued the challenge did not warrant a dismissal.

Mamdani added: “I keep the conversation with the president and myself between the president and myself, but I do make my own decisions.”

Balogun started against Belgium on Monday night, but the USMNT was eliminated from the World Cup in a 4-1 defeat, ending the tournament run of the last remaining co-host nation.

Watch above via CSPAN.

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