Comedy Shows Use Team USA's Loss to Bash Trump

Alex Christy
July 8th, 2026 9:52 AM

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On Monday, Team USA suffered a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the World Cup, and on Tuesday the late night comedy shows knew who to blame: President Trump.

On Comedy Central, The Daily Show host-of-the-week Ronny Chieng reacted to short clips that he put together in a montage to suggest Trump was the reason why Folarin Balogun was allowed to play despite being given a red card in the previous round. Flipping the double bird, Chieng declared, “This is America, bitch. The land of the Karen. And when life hands us lemons, we call life's manager and say, take these lemons back and let Balogun play. And of course, the rest of the world started complaining, saying it wasn't fair, asking why President Trump gets to pull strings. Well, there's a good reason why.”

 

 

In a clip, Trump was shown claiming, “I'm a person that loves sports and was a good athlete. And I understand sports really well. Really well. And that wasn't a foul.”

Chieng reacted by purposely mispronouncing some words to mock Trump while teeing up a second clip, “See, you heard it from him. You heard it from him. That wasn't a foul. President Trump understands sports, okay? It's in his je’nome. Sports is deep in his d’nay. So I think he knows what a red card is..”

In the second clip, Trump added, “I didn't know what the hell a red card was. When I found out, I said, ‘You got to be kidding.’”

Chieng reacted with more America bashing, “Psych! This man didn't know what a red card is. But you know what he did know? How to get a guy a pardon. Yeah! And if you're thinking this is corrupt, well, [bleep] yeah, it is! That's America's style of play. You think we're going to obey soccer rules? We don't even listen to the Geneva Convention.”

 

 

Nevertheless, Team Belgium was happy to celebrate by doing a version of Trump’s famous YMCA dance in the locker room after the game. Chieng reacted to that by cueing up a video of a 4th of July skydiver crashing into a tent:

But, Trump has only himself to blame. Because thanks to him, we went from being the heroes of our own Disney sports movie to being the villain in some weird European film. I mean, up until last week, America was a scrappy underdog again, but then Trump's intervention galvanized Belgium and the entire world to defeat Team USA for the integrity of the game, and just like everything else he tried to fix, he made it worse and ruined our reputation in the process. Before Trump, we were a shining eagle, soaring through the sky. And now, we're this.

Chieng simply retorted, “Oh, shit, that was a metaphor!”

Over on ABC and Jimmy Kimmel Live! guest host Tiffany Haddish reacted to Team USA’s loss, “People are blaming Donald Trump for the loss after he got FIFA to help Team USA. It seems like everything Trump touches dies. Which I guess is why his tiny hands are all [bleep]ed up or maybe that's from grabbing Nikki's barbs by the [bleep]. I'm glad some of y’all got that joke because it seemed like there's not enough black people in the audience to know what a barb is.”

 

 

Even Fox After Hours and former CBS Late Late Show host James Corden got in on the Trump angle, “As you know, yesterday Belgium knocked the us out of the tournament with a 4-1 heartbreaker. Now, lots of people were very, very upset about Trump's involvement with the red card that was rescinded. Well, revenge is sweet because Belgium won the game, and then they celebrated with Trump's famous YMCA dance. Look at this.”

Corden reacted, “I mean, I saw this credit to them, but they're not even doing it right. If you're going to do it. He's not. It's up here. It's up here. It's always up here. You can't be down here. You've got to be up here. That's how it is.”

 

 

It is not disputed that Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino had a conversation, but there is no evidence to suggest Trump is the reason why Balogun was allowed to play. FIFA set the precedent for the reversing red card suspensions earlier in the tournament. The U.S. lost because Belgium was simply the better team. There’s no need to make everything about Trump.

Here are transcripts for the July 7 shows:

Comedy Central The Daily Show

7/7/2026

11:05 PM ET

CHIENG: Psych! This is America, bitch. The land of the Karen. And when life hands us lemons, we call life's manager and say, take these lemons back and let Balogun play. And of course, the rest of the world started complaining, saying it wasn't fair, asking why President Trump gets to pull strings. Well, there's a good reason why.

DONALD TRUMP: And I'm a person that loves sports and was a good athlete. And I understand sports really well. Really well. And that wasn't a foul.

CHIENG: See, you heard it from him. You heard it from him. That wasn't a foul. President Trump understands sports, okay? It's in his je'nome. Sports is deep in his d'nay. So I think he knows what a red card is.

TRUMP: I didn't know what the hell a red card was. When I found out, I said, "You got to be kidding."

CHIENG: Psych! This man didn't know what a red card is. But you know what he did know? How to get a guy a pardon. Yeah! And if you're thinking this is corrupt, well, [bleep] yeah, it is! That's America's style of play. You think we're going to obey soccer rules? We don't even listen to the Geneva Convention.

…

But, Trump has only himself to blame. Because thanks to him, we went from being the heroes of our own Disney sports movie to being the villain in some weird European film. I mean, up until last week, America was a scrappy underdog again, but then Trump's intervention galvanized Belgium and the entire world to defeat Team USA for the integrity of the game, and just like everything else he tried to fix, he made it worse and ruined our reputation in the process. Before Trump, we were a shining eagle, soaring through the sky. And now, we're this.

[Video of a 4th of Julyskydiver crashing into a tent]

CHIENG: Oh, shit, that was a metaphor!

***

ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live!

7/7/2026

11:41 PM ET

TIFFANY HADDISH: People are blaming Donald Trump for the loss after he got FIFA to help Team USA. It seems like everything Trump touches dies. Which I guess is why his tiny hands are all [bleep]ed up or maybe that's from grabbing Nikki's barbs by the [bleep]. I'm glad some of y’all got that joke because it seemed like there's not enough black people in the audience to know what a barb is. Whatever.

***

Fox FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours with James Corden

7/7/2026

11:09 PM ET

JAMES CORDEN: As you know, yesterday Belgium knocked the us out of the tournament with a 4-1 heartbreaker. Now, lots of people were very, very upset about Trump's involvement with the red card that was rescinded. Well, revenge is sweet because Belgium won the game, and then they celebrated with Trump's famous YMCA dance. Look at this.

TEAM BELGIUM: Y-M-C-A!.

CORDEN: I mean, I saw this credit to them, but they're not even doing it right.

IAN KARMEL: Yeah. That's right.

CORDEN: If you're going to do it. He's not. It's up here. It's up here. It's always up here. You can't be down here. You've got to be up here. That's how it is.

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