Donald Trump faced online mockery after the United States men's national soccer team's exit from the World Cup following a 4-1 loss to Belgium. Critics on social media drew parallels between the U.S. team's defeat and a past controversial statement made by the former president.
Specifically, users revived Trump's Jan. 6, 2021, social media post where he criticized then-Vice President Mike Pence. At the time, Trump stated, "Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution," after Pence refused to attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.
The critique of Pence's perceived lack of courage was repurposed to comment on Trump's intervention with FIFA, which led to a one-match red-card suspension for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun being lifted. Despite this intervention, the U.S. team was eliminated from the tournament.