O’Donnell, 64, was livid that Trump reached out to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask the organization to review the decision to give U.S.soccer star Folarin Balogun a red card.
The red card meant Balogun would have been suspended for the team’s knockout match against Belgium on Monday, but FIFA decided to suspend the one-game ban after Trump’s call."The fact that he called up FIFA and had the penalty revoked for the American team and America was like, ‘Yeah, that’s good! I didn’t think it was a red card anyway!’ Well, you’re not the freakin’ ref! You don’t get to decide!" O’Donnell told Variety.WATCH THE WORLD CUP FINAL ON FOX ONE(Left) Rosie O'Donnell attends the 79th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on June 7, 2026.(Right) President Donald Trump walks to speak at a lunch in the White House Rose Garden, Monday, July 6, 2026, in Washington.
(TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic;AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)"Since when does he get to make and change the rules, the goalposts, whatever metaphor you want to use, and everyone just sits by and shrugs their shoulders? There’s so much (corruption) that we don’t even notice it."O’Donnell said she was "horrified" by Trump’s reaching out to FIFA.She also condemned the USMNT’s coach, Mauricio Pochettino, and Balogun for not self-imposing a suspension once FIFA postponed theirs."The fact that (Balogun) did not say, ‘I will not play this game,’ and the fact that the coach of the American team did not say, ‘This is not how we win,’ and that everyone was just like, ‘Well, whatever!’ I was horrified," O’Donnell said."I’m horrified that he is able to get away with pretty much everything, and it’s sickening."O'Donnell was one of many media figures who melted down over Trump's involvement with the decision.
Trump addressed the controversy in the Oval Office on Monday.FOX ONE’S NEW WORLD CUP VIEWING EXPERIENCEPresident Donald Trump holds up a red ...