Must be illegal.

Trump hints at punishing countries if they don’t back World Cup bid

By BRENT D. GRIFFITHS

President Donald Trump suggested Thursday evening that the U.S. consider removing support for certain nations if they lobbied against a joint bid by the U.S., Canada and Mexico to host the 2026 World Cup.

“The U.S. has put together a STRONG bid w/ Canada & Mexico for the 2026 World Cup,” the president wrote on Twitter. “It would be a shame if countries that we always support were to lobby against the U.S. bid. Why should we be supporting these countries when they don’t support us (including at the United Nations)?” He did not single out any countries by name.

Recent news reports have said the joint North American bid is in peril because of Trump’s rhetoric and a reluctance to grant the U.S. something at a time when the president has supported a travel ban against mostly Muslim countries and reportedly called unspecified African states “shithole countries.” (Trump has denied using that specific language, but his account has been disputed by lawmakers who were present at the meeting where the alleged utterance occurred.)

ESPN reported in February that the contingent bid for the World Cup could be upset by a competing proposal from Morocco. The International Federation of Association Football, commonly known as FIFA, will meet in May to vote and determine the next host.

The U.S. last hosted the massive men’s soccer tournament in 1994. American officials made efforts to host the 2022 World Cup, but lost unexpectedly to a bid from Qatar. The Justice Department indicted top FIFA officials in 2015, alleging extensive corruption in the organization’s top rungs, including in the bidding process for the 2010 World Cup.