CNN Can't Find A Fan Happy US Soccer Star Cleared To Play

Monday's CNN This Morning devoted a Group Chat segment to FIFA's decision to suspend the red card issued to U.S. men's national team striker Folarin Balogun. This reversal—following a reported call from President Trump to FIFA President Gianni Infantino—cleared the top U.S. scorer (with three World Cup goals) to play in Monday's Round of 16 matchup against Belgium in Seattle.

Mario Parker of Bloomberg suggested that, thanks to the FIFA decision, the game would carry an "asterisk." In addition to echoing Parker's "asterisk" line, substitute host Erica Hill suggested that the FIFA decision "taints" things.

A clip was then played of three "fans in the street," and every one voiced negativity about the situation—and Trump's possible role in FIFA's call.

The first fan appeared to be an American--and no Trump fan--complaining that he's "got his nose in everything."

The second fan suggested that the FIFA decision sets a precedent for any team that gets a red card. He was wearing a Mexico jersey and seemed to have an accent to match.

The third fan suggested that the US received "favored nation" treatment. He was wearing an England jersey and had an English accent.

So three fans, of whom two were apparently non-American, and one American, a Trump critic.  None liked the FIFA decision.

This was classic CNN selective interviewing, cherry-picking voices that align with the network's leanings. It's the same pattern we've noted in other CNN man-in-the street coverage.

Recall CNN's segment on the Texas senatorial election: The only GOP voters featured said they wouldn't support Ken Paxton in the general election—with one declaring he would "absolutely" back Democrat James Talarico.

Or the Maine Democrats piece, where CNN apparently couldn't locate a single one unwilling to vote for their controversial nominee Graham Platner despite his string of scandals.

In each case, the "man-on-the-street" format delivered a snapshot that conveniently reinforced CNN's preferred framing.

For CNN This Morning, the soccer story became an opportunity to feature anti-Trump sentiment, and imply the U.S. team's success might be illegitimate.

Media bias often hides in these "vox populi" segments. When every sampled voice fits the script, viewers should ask: Where were the fans thrilled Balogun could play, or those viewing the reversal as fair play rather than political interference? 

Does anyone believe that CNN didn't come across a single one? 

Here's the transcript.

CNN This Morning
7/6/26
6:01 am EDT

MAURICIO POCHETTINO: I am listen different coaches, different, you know, federation that talk about, oh, the president call, this, no, no, everything want to be involved. It's, it's not surprise me.

ERICA HILL: Doesn't surprise him. I'm Erica Hill, in for Audie Cornish. The US has a huge World Cup showdown, of course, tonight with Belgium. And now one of their stars will be on the pitch after FIFA on Sunday shocked the tournament by sidelining the suspension of US soccer star Folarin Balogun, who was supposed to sit out due to that red card in the previous game. 

The suspension was supposedly not able to be reviewed. A source, however, tells CNN President Trump personally called FIFA's president to ask for a review, and then a few days later, the penalty was set aside by an independent commission citing an obscure FIFA rule, I believe it's rule twenty-seven. 

Trump applauded the move on social media, posting, "Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right and reversing a great injustice." Belgium's manager, meantime, compared the announcement to April Fool's Day.

RUDI GARCIA [voiceover translation from French]: I didn't realize that at FIFA headquarters, July 5th was the equivalent of April 1st in Europe. The Belgian Football Association isn't defending itself, nor is it defending the national team. It's defending football in general.

HILL: Joining me now in the group chat, Mario Parker, managing editor, economy and government at Bloomberg News, Joey Garrison, White House reporter, USA Today, and Eleanor Mueller White, White House reporter at Semaphor. 

So CNN, you know, according to the reporting, there's some reporting that Trump made a phone call. FIFA says this was an independent commission that made this decision. Eleanor, what are you hearing this morning?

ELEANOR MUELLER WHITE: Well, it's on brand for Trump, right, to take issue with something and believe he can change it. We know that Howard Lutnick, the Commerce Secretary, was involved in this talks. He, he's this type of guy. He's the let me call them, let me talk to them, let me see what I can do. 

And it also, I mean, is proof, I think, of this relationship between Trump and the FIFA president. The FIFA president created this FIFA Peace Prize to give to Trump when he was upset about not getting the Nobel Peace Prize. And so in some ways this made a lot of sense. Of course that doesn't change the fact that it is precedent shattering.

HILL: It is, it was remarkable. I will say, Mario, that so much of what we have seen so far in the tournament, the president didn't seem to be all that interested. It felt delightfully non-political. Are those days now over, Mario?

MARIO PARKER: Yes, those days are over. It was only a matter of time, right? I mean, we're two weeks or three weeks out from when the president visited the NBA Finals in New York, for example, as well. We know that the president hosted a UFC fight on the White House grounds. He's a sports aficionado. 

The fact that this call was controversial, it did allow for the president, it gave the president an opportunity to kind of put his finger on the scale. 

Now, obviously, some of the criticism that we've heard from opponents are a bad precedent that could be set, but also, whether or not the US wins tonight or not, they may have an asterisk now just based off of this action.

HILL: In terms of that asterisk, it's interesting, I think, some of the comments that we heard from fans. I mean, certainly we heard coaches, managers speaking out here, but CNN spoke to some fans as well. Just take a listen to their take.

FAN 1: You really wanna hope that that's not the case, but with all the rumors about the FIFA president going around, and the fact that Trump's got his nose in everything, I wouldn't be surprised.

FAN 2: Everybody gets a red card, everybody has the right to go to the president and ask for help? I don't know. 

FAN 3: Maybe there's some favored nation.

HILL: You know, when we look at [chuckles] where we are at, Joey, you know, Mario mentioned like there is a question of whether this taints things. 

How does the White House look at this? Is this exactly the outcome that they may have wanted, that President Trump would want, to be able to say, "Oh, I picked up the phone?"

JOEY GARRISON: Well, I think President Trump certainly enjoys that narrative, that maybe he did have something to do with this change.