Trump's Baffling Question: Juventus Deals with an Awkward Moment at the Oval Office
Trump Embarrasses Himself at Ridiculous Football Event
The Italian powerhouse Juventus, fresh from their Club World Cup victory, ended up in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons during a visit to the Oval Office. Initiated by an unusual question from President Donald Trump.
First, a memorable meet-up with Trump, then a convincing win: Juventus started their Club World Cup journey with a stellar visit to the Oval Office and a commanding 5:0 (4:0) win over Al-Ain from the UAE. But it was the exchange with Trump that stole the headlines. The stars were, at best, mere extras at the event. Trump, known for his controversial stance on transgender athletes, gathered the professionals around him and mainly addressed the press. Then he turned to some of the players, including former Schalke player Weston McKennie, and asked an odd question: "Have any of you ever had a woman on your team? Tell me about it."
Trump seemed intent on emphasizing his opinions on transgender athletes. The football pros looked uncomfortable and remained silent, with General Director Damien Comolli eventually responding that the club has a "top-notch women's team" who recently claimed the Italian league championship. Trump, however, wasn't appeased: "But they should play with women, right?" Stumped, Comolli didn't respond, prompting Trump to remark, "He's quite diplomatic." FIFA President Gianni Infantino was also present, looking rather uncomfortable as the athletes were caught in this peculiar scenario.
Politicking Before Football Matters
The unfortunate football delegation wasn't off the hook just yet. Trump continued addressing the press, expounding on his stance regarding the escalating Iran-Israel conflict, while the footballers had to listen to his views, standing behind him. "I'm still considering whether to attack Iran. There could be a regime change, we'll see," Trump declared.
Juventus coach Igor Tudor acknowledged the honor of meeting the U.S. President but didn't comment on the awkward exchange involving the players. US national player McKennie, who had made his disapproval of Trump clear during his time with FC Schalke, stated, "I don't believe Trump is fit for the Presidential role. I firmly stand by these words. I consider him ignorant. I don't support him at all. I don't trust him. In my eyes, he's a racist."
Timothy Weah, another American player in the Juventus squad, described the visit as "a bit strange" and acknowledged that he was caught off-guard by the interaction. He stated afterward that he merely wanted to focus on soccer, finding the political context around the event awkward. Weah described the overall experience at the White House as "fascinating" but "not particularly exciting."
In essence, the Juventus players responded with unease and silence to Trump's question about women joining their team, with no direct answers from players, and later expressed that the visit was an unexpected and slightly bizarre experience for them.
Despite the European-leagues fame and Serie-A success, the Juventus football team found themselves in an uncomfortable situation during a visit to the Oval Office, as the discussion took a surprising turn away from sports. The Commission has not yet adopted a proposal for a directive on the protection of the environment, but perhaps a conversation about the importance of gender equality in sports could be a timely addition.
