Ted Cruz thanks Trump for 'getting rid of that ridiculous red card'
Senator Ted Cruz expressed gratitude towards former President Donald Trump for advocating the removal of the red card issued to US striker Folarin Balogun. Balogun had received a straight red card from referee Raphael Claus following a video review during a recent match. Although many considered the decision excessively harsh, FIFA's disciplinary regulations prohibit appeals against straight red cards. Officials from FIFA and US Soccer confirmed after the game that the sanction could not be overturned.
Sources informed that Trump made multiple calls starting Wednesday to ensure the red card suspension was lifted. The White House has not responded to requests for comment, and FIFA declined to comment.
Trump confirms conversation with FIFA president regarding Balogun's red card
Donald Trump confirmed in the Oval Office that he contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino about the red card decision against Folarin Balogun.
“I saw the play, and I’m a person that loves sports and was a good athlete, and I understand sports really well, really well,” Trump said.
“That wasn’t a foul … There was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other,” he added. “These are two great athletes that got tangled up.”
The former president alleged, without presenting evidence, that referee Raphael Claus has a questionable history. Trump stated he requested FIFA to review the decision.
“If we didn’t have the team’s best player to take part in subsequent matches, it would have really stained the competition,” Trump said, appearing unfamiliar with the policy that a straight red card results in an automatic one-match ban.
“I didn’t know what the hell a red card was. When I found out, I said, ‘you got to be kidding,’” he added.
When questioned about recent attacks in Ukraine that have caused casualties and damage, Trump reiterated claims of progress toward a resolution despite ongoing conflict.
“[Putin] wants to end it, and Ukraine wants to end it, and we’re in talks, and we’ll see if we can get it ended. It’s a terrible thing,” Trump said.
Senator Ted Cruz, who once had a contentious relationship with Trump during the 2016 GOP presidential primary, stood alongside him. Trump joked about nominating Cruz to the Supreme Court if a vacancy arises.
“He’s the only one I can think of that’s going to get 100 votes,” Trump said. “All Republicans will vote for him, all Democrats will vote for him, because they want to get him the hell out of the Senate.”
Trump rings Wall Street opening bell on launch day for Trump Accounts
Donald Trump inaugurated his namesake savings accounts by ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq from the Oval Office.
The accounts, designed for children, will be managed by major firms and invested in stock indexes.
My colleagues at the World Cup 2026 live blog are covering the ongoing developments related to Trump's intervention to lift Balogun’s red card suspension.
UEFA criticized FIFA’s decision to lift Balogun’s suspension as “incomprehensible and unjustifiable,” accusing the world football governing body of crossing “a red line.”
The Trump Accounts were established under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a key domestic policy signed into law last year. Accounts for children born between January 2025 and December 2028 will receive $1,000 from the government. Parents, friends, and employers can contribute up to $5,000 annually.
Parents and s will control the accounts until children turn 18, after which the children will manage the funds to pay for college, buy homes, or start businesses.
Trump began his day in Washington with a launch event for the Trump Accounts at 9:30 a.m. ET in the Oval Office. The rest of the day was closed to the press as Trump attended private meetings before departing for Ankara, Turkey, to attend the NATO summit.
Trump lobbied FIFA to lift Folarin Balogun suspension for World Cup match against Belgium
Donald Trump lobbied FIFA to lift the one-game ban on US striker Folarin Balogun, who had received a red card in the team’s recent match. This preceded the announcement that Balogun would be available for the cohosts' last-16 match against Belgium in Seattle.
Sources told that Trump made three calls starting Wednesday to ensure the suspension was lifted.
The decision provides a significant advantage for the US team as they aim to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2002. Balogun has been a key player, scoring three goals in three starts during the tournament.
FIFA has been approached for comment. Trump thanked FIFA for reversing what he called a “great injustice” on his Truth Social platform.
The Royal Belgian Football Association expressed astonishment at the decision, stating it contradicts FIFA statutes that impose an automatic one-game ban for red cards. The RBFA is investigating potential options.
Conservative groups petition FCC to deny ABC license renewals over alleged bias
A coalition of conservative organizations petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deny license renewal requests for eight local ABC television stations, accusing the network of political, racial, and sexual bias and alleged support for the Chinese Communist Party.
The petitions followed the FCC, led by Trump appointee Brendan Carr, requiring ABC to apply for license renewals several years early. Carr stated this was due to an FCC investigation into ABC’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Petitioners cited various grievances, including claims that ABC’s programming exhibits overt partisan bias, referencing complaints about late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and the network’s moderation of a 2024 presidential debate.
“ABC ignores long-standing Commission precedents and principles protecting the integrity of the news,” the group wrote. “ABC engages in explicit racial and gender discrimination. ABC cozies up to the Communist Chinese Party and airbrushes over religious and ethnic cleansing. ABC fails to respect this Commission’s rules.”
The group urged the FCC to deny ABC’s renewal requests and call the matter for a hearing, citing concerns about whether ABC operates in the public interest.
NCAA president says no anticipated changes to transgender athlete policies after Supreme Court ruling
The president of the NCAA stated that the organization does not plan to alter its rules regarding transgender athletes following a recent Supreme Court decision allowing states to ban transgender athletes from school sports.
In an interview with CBS News’ Face the Nation, Charlie Baker, NCAA president and former Massachusetts governor, referenced the NCAA’s January 2025 policy effectively barring transgender athletes assigned male at birth or undergoing testosterone therapy from women’s sports. There are no restrictions on participation in men’s sports, which Baker described as “the open network.”
“We needed some sort of clarity around what the national standard for this would be – and we adopted and comply with the standard that was put forth by the administration,” Baker said. “I think what happens at the state level is a different question.”
Baker’s comments suggest the Supreme Court ruling, which upheld laws in West Virginia and Idaho excluding transgender girls and women from female sports, may have broad implications.
Democrats to choose between progressive and establishment candidate in Michigan as McMorrow drops out
Welcome to the live blog.
Progressive Democratic candidate Shri Thanedar has emerged as the frontrunner in Michigan’s primary after Mallory McMorrow withdrew from the race.
Thanedar, an advocate for Medicare for All and potentially the first Muslim US senator, has received high-profile endorsements from progressive leaders including Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who endorsed him last week.
Thanedar will face off against establishment Democrat Haley Stevens, a congresswoman, for the party’s nomination.
McMorrow’s exit ends a center-left bid to retain the seat being vacated by Democrat Gary Peters. The primary had been a three-way contest, but polls showed McMorrow’s support declining as Thanedar surged ahead, with Stevens also competing strongly.
“I may be suspending this campaign, but I am not leaving the fight,” McMorrow said in a statement announcing her withdrawal. “When regular people get in the fight, things can change.”
Stevens, a moderate Democrat, has the backing of Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. Super PACs have spent over $16 million supporting her campaign, including pro-Israel groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which criticized Thanedar’s refusal to affirm Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.
“Israel exists,” Thanedar said last week. “The question is whether or not we want a politics where our money is sent over to Israel to do genocide and apartheid, instead of investing in our own kids.”
Energy bill criticized for inadequate protection against rising electricity costs
A bipartisan energy bill intended to shield consumers from rising electricity prices amid a clean energy boom has been criticized by consumer advocates for failing to address the true costs faced by the public.
The bill, supported by some in the tech industry including Microsoft, passed a House subcommittee in mid-June. A full committee vote scheduled for July 1 was delayed.
Florida congressman urges White House to reconsider ending TPS for Haitian migrants
Florida Congressman Carlos Giménez broke ranks with his party by urging the White House to reconsider plans to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian migrants. He warned that returning approximately 350,000 Haitians to their unstable homeland following a Supreme Court ruling would be a grave mistake.
The Atlantic republishes 2014 essay assessing Trump’s presidency
The Atlantic republished a 2014 essay that described Donald Trump as “cultural heroin,” coinciding with the magazine’s 10th anniversary and the US’s 250th anniversary. The essay, originally published exactly ten years ago, offered an assessment of Trump’s presidency and its enduring impact.
Paul Pelosi involved in hit-and-run incident in California wine country
Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was involved in a hit-and-run car accident in Yountville, California. Authorities reported that Pelosi struck a legally parked vehicle with his brown convertible, briefly stopped, and then left the scene. The parked vehicle sustained major damage, but no injuries were reported. Pelosi may face misdemeanor charges.
