'Like an old man in a club': Hakeem Jefferies criticizes Trump's antics at the World Cup

The soccer World Cup trophy presentation got awkward when President Donald Trump stubbornly lingered onstage after Spain’s 1-0 win over Argentina. While FIFA President Gianni Infantino tried his best to get him out of the frame, his efforts were in vain, as Trump remained in the frame, only to be cropped out later. As the incident sparked a meme fest, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries slammed the President for disgracing himself on the world stage.  

After Trump presented the trophy to Spain's captain Rodri, Infantino looked a bit anxious as he saw his good friend not wanting to leave the stage and let the newly crowned champions have their moment. However, the President looked rather clueless as he lingered on the stage at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., for an awkward amount of time, as the winning team celebrated. "He looked like the old man in a club that no one wanted around, and he's the only one that couldn't figure it out," Jeffries said at a press conference looking back at the moment. 

The incident got even more humiliating for Trump when both FIFA and the Spanish team cropped him out completely from their photos, which they posted on social media celebrating the World Cup Win. However, the White House did put out several photos featuring the President, and in many of them, he was at the center of focus rather than the players or anybody else who contributed to the event. 

This wasn't the only stir that Trump caused, as his close relationship with Infantino and his role in clearing U.S. Striker Folarin Balogun's mandatory one-game ban are still being talked about at the international stage. After Folarin got a red card, he was set to miss the round of 16 match against Belgium. Trump on camera said he found the referee's decision horrible and admitted that he called up Infantino to discuss it. While the president said he didn't tell Infantino what to do, FIFA later reviewed the decision and revoked Folarin's ban. Now, the move could trigger an enquiry as the Norwegian soccer federation on Thursday said its board of directors will consider filing the complaint at its next meeting over the decision. "We need our leader in FIFA to say that this was an error," Norwegian federation president Lise Klaveness told the New York Times in an interview.

Furthermore, the close personal and political ties between the U.S. President and the FIFA President have also led to Trump touting Infantino as a great candidate for the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. According to the New York Post, Trump wants Infantino to become the next UN Secretary-General following the success of this summer's World Cup, as Portugal's Antonio Guterres is due to step down from the role in December. Trump believes Infantino "is respected by everyone around the world, and recognizes he has a special ability to bring people together," a White House insider told the Post.