President Donald Trump ignored the fact that he was mercilessly booed at the World Cup final as he spoke to reporters afterward.
Trump, 80, walked onto the field following Spain’s victory over Argentina at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, sending the crowd wild—but not in a good way. Trump was joined by his friend and ally, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as they walked out in front of other dignitaries including the leaders of Canada and Mexico and even the King of Spain.
A White House Press Pool report said the jeering was so intense that it increased the stadium’s volume from 78 decibels to 84.
Despite this, Trump glossed over the fact as he spoke with a press gaggle at Joint Base Andrews after the game. “Greater than anything ever held. And it’s probably about five times, actually, they’re telling me today,” he blustered beneath the wing of Air Force One.
“So we’re very proud of our country. We’re very proud of the job that was done by everybody. Uh, we congratulate Gianni Infantino and all of his staff and the incredible job they did. But this was one of the greatest events of any kind ever held. So we’re really happy that it, it did so well. And all over the world people have, uh, come and they’ve loved our country. You know, it’s shown off our country in a different light. And uh, it was a great thing.”
Despite Trump’s claims of the “greatest ever” World Cup, it faced issues before it even began. The U.S. portion of the tournament was dogged by complaints that expensive tickets, visa bottlenecks, and aggressive immigration enforcement shut out many of the very fans the event was supposed to welcome.
Soccer purists also lamented the Americanization of the game, with hydration breaks that slashed match length into quarters and the first-ever halftime show giving it a Super Bowl feel.
Trump, meanwhile, was also jeered before the game had even begun. Trump appeared on the Jumbotron just after Jennifer Hudson performed the national anthem. Many fans who noticed began booing.
Trump had another cringeworthy moment when he stood next to Spain’s team as they celebrated their victory over Argentina by lifting the trophy up into the air.
That led Infantino to dart across the stage toward Trump, appearing to try to escort him away to let the champions celebrate as a team.
