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“The View” co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin defended President Donald Trump on Monday for intervening in FIFA’s handling of U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension, after Trump confirmed he asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the call ahead of the United States’ World Cup match against Belgium.
Griffin, a former Trump White House communications aide who has become a frequent critic of the president, said she approved of the alleged favor because it helped the U.S. team.
“The one Trump corruption I agree with is the red card if we are going to get into FIFA,” she said.
“If you’re going to call in a favor, do it so that you can get one of the greatest players back on,” Griffin continued. “It should have been a yellow card, suspend him for a bit.”
However, fellow co-host Sunny Hostin accused Trump of “corruption,” claiming he had personally pushed FIFA to let Balogun play despite the red card.
“Which means you’re supposed to be suspended for the next game and Trump made a call to FIFA and said can he still play and FIFA said, ‘Sure, we’re going to abandon all of our rules for a World Cup and let them play,’” Hostin said.
Hostin, who said earlier in the show she had just returned from a vacation to Spain, claimed Europeans had been raising concerns to her about corruption in the U.S.
“Europeans – because I was in Spain at the time – Europeans are saying things like I can’t believe America is so corrupt,” Hostin said. “I’m like have you met the Trump administration? Have you met where we are right now?”
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
BELGIUM ‘CONSIDERING ALL POSSIBLE OPTIONS’ AFTER FIFA CLEARS TEAM USA’S FOLARIN BALOGUN
Griffin then noted Balogun’s eligibility to play for the U.S. national team came through birthright citizenship.
“And that player, by the way, is eligible to be playing on the U.S. team because of birthright citizenship,” Griffin said. “Which is incredible and it’s great.”
“Correct,” Hostin agreed.
Comedian Michelle Buteau, who joined the panel as a guest co-host Monday, said she was not surprised by the FIFA controversy because she argued it reflected Trump’s broader approach to rules.
“We can’t be surprised that he’s like, trying to break the rules, because the way you do one thing is the way you do everything and that’s what he does, he breaks the rules,” she said.
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Trump discussed the call during a White House event on Monday, saying he spoke with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and asked the governing body to take another look at Balogun’s suspension.
“So yes, I asked for a review by FIFA,” Trump said.
Trump said he believed the red card decision against Balogun was wrong and argued the play did not warrant the punishment.
“It was very unfair,” Trump said. “It wasn’t a foul.”
“FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent,” Infantino said in a statement. “They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected.”
“Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues,” he added.
“During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold,” Infantino concluded.
