10:41 AM PT -- FIFA President Gianni Infantino has responded to the backlash on Trump ... saying "Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues."
He adds "During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA's independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies."
The decisions that are made by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee are brought to Infantino who -- despite whether he agrees with the decision or not --always will "respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them."
Donald Trump says we should go to VAR for his self-alleged conversation with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the red card that was given to USMNT striker Folarin Balogun on last Wednesday's U.S. vs. Bosnia World Cup match.
Check out the video ... the President of the United States says all he did was ask for a review and he didn't tell Infantino what to do. He adds "that wasn't a foul ... that wasn't even an infraction" and goes on to call the referee who made the call in that match "a little bit suspect" and has "a past."
Waiting for your permission to load TikTok Post.
ICYMI, Trump asked FIFA to review the call that sent Balogun off the pitch in the U.S. vs. Bosnia game last Wednesday, and on Sunday FIFA revoked the red card that was given ... meaning Balogun is good to play in today's U.S. vs. Belgium World Cup Round of 16 game.
10:15 AM PT -- FIFA dismissed Belgium's appeal ... stating the Royal Belgian Football Association is not a party in the proceedings, meaning it has no standing on the appeal of the decision.
The RBFA has made it clear it will continue to raise hell if Balogun ultimately suits up, which he is free to do following the decision.
The Folarin Balogun drama is far from over -- Belgium was granted a last-minute appeal after the USMNT star's one-game FIFA World Cup ban was suspended on Sunday.
Both America and Belgium were asked to submit their arguments to a FIFA appeals committee by 5 AM on Monday ... hours before the two sides are slated to play a Round of 16 matchup in Seattle, according to The Athletic.
Waiting for your permission to load TikTok Post.
Despite the appeal being granted, Belgium is reportedly pissed about the quick deadline ... as the initial decision was not publicized.
The fireworks may be over, but the cleanup was just getting started Sunday morning in Washington, D.C. ... where crews were hard at work clearing the Reflecting Pool after the massive Fourth of July celebration.
In photos posted online, workers were seen cleaning out the Reflecting Pool near the Lincoln Memorial, removing debris it had collected from the holiday festivities.
The pool appeared to be littered with ash and other remnants left behind following the night's fireworks display and the enormous crowds that packed the area.
Donald Trumpthinks FIFA finally made the right call ... and Team USA is the big winner.
FIFA reversed the Americans' top goal scorer Folarin Balogun's one-game suspension on Sunday ahead of the USMNT's World Cup showdown with Belgium ... and Trump wasted no time taking a victory lap on Truth Social, thanking FIFA for "reversing a great injustice."
Waiting for your permission to load TikTok Post.
The move means Balogun -- who was tossed during Team USA's 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina after a controversial red-card -- is now eligible to play Monday in Seattle. That's massive for the Americans, considering he's been one of their biggest weapons all tournament.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce pull off the wedding of the century in a heatwave, Prez Trump makes a couple billions, the world's ballsiest engagement goes down on the Empire State Building, and, oh yeah ... happy birthday, America! So, we gotta ask ...
Donald Trump might not be a doctor in real life, but he plays one on Truth Social ... sharing an A.I. clip about him treating celebrity patients for "Trump Derangement Syndrome."
Trump's patients pop up in rapid succession ... each of them repeating oft-heard clichés from medical testimonials about how they never thought they'd be cured.
Donald Trump just cracked an incest joke about having a threesome with two of his sons -- Donald Jr. and Eric -- and yes, he actually used the word "threesome" ... and it's all on video.
POTUS was at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota on Wednesday when he started about giving out the Medal of Honor ... he spotted Don Jr. and Eric in the crowd and said ... "I see my two beautiful sons sitting there. I think I'm going to give one to myself, one to them, and we'll have a threesome, okay?"
The bizarre statement is met with applause and laughter from the audience. We can't make this up ... seriously, ya gotta watch the video.
Donald Trump and Dana White walking out from the Oval Office before the UFC fight at the White House looked flawless ... but it almost didn't turn out that way ... according to new behind-the-scenes footage that just surfaced.
Fox Nation is releasing a two-part documentary series Thursday titled "UFC Fight House: The Making of the Biggest Fight in History" ... and it captures the interaction between the two powerful men before they head out to the South Lawn for UFC Freedom 250.
Check out the clip ... a coordinator is explaining the timeframe to the pair and taking into account weather issues which nearly derailed the day.
Dana looks nervous before walking out ... while DJT looks calm and in control -- though the two do switch sides, possibly so photogs can catch the Prez on his good side.
Melania Trumpcashed in big on her documentary ... even though moviegoers mostly stayed home.
The First Lady's Amazon-backed documentary "Melania" turned into a massive payday for her ... with President Trump's newly released annual financial disclosure revealing Melania personally pocketed $10.71 million from the project.
That's an eye-popping haul considering the film reportedly brought in only about $16 million at the worldwide box office -- meaning FLOTUS' payday alone topped half of the movie's total ticket sales.
The filing also shows she earned roughly $521,000 from her memoir ... along with more than $6 million from NFTs and other collectibles.
NPR may have jumped the gun on one of the biggest political scoops of the year ... reporting that Supreme Court Justice SamuelAlitois retiring, only to quickly reverse course and retract their story.
The Alito retirement story, written by prominent SCOTUS reporter NinaTotenberg, was published Tuesday morning before quickly disappearing from NPR's website. In its place now sits a brief editor's note that reads, "This story has been taken down. It was published in error."
The report spread quickly because the stakes couldn't be much higher. If Alito steps down, President Trumpwould get the chance to nominate a fourth Supreme Court justice -- further cementing his influence over the nation's highest court for years to come.
The twist here is who's behind the scoop ... Totenberg has spent decades covering the Supreme Court and is widely regarded as one of the best-sourced reporters on the beat -- having broken countless major stories involving the justices. That's already fueled speculation the underlying reporting may be sound and the story simply went live before NPR intended.
Dr. Oz might want to get his eyes checked ... he says there's "tons of people" at the Great American State Fair ... but one pan of the camera makes a completely opposite diagnosis.
TMZ DC was on the National Mall Monday whenOz and Dean Cain took the stage and talked up the event's turnout ... insisting the fair was drawing plenty of people and only getting busier as the week rolls on.
Then our guy Charlie did what any intrepid producer would do ... he panned over to the audience -- and, well, the footage pretty much speaks for itself.
President Trumpsays the Great American State Fair is a smash hit ... even if photo evidence from the event looks to tell a different story.
Trump took to Truth Social Monday morning to celebrate the patriotic bash on the National Mall ... asking supporters if they appreciated the "fantastic job" his team did building and operating the event, which he says was "packed with happy people."
POTUS took his usual swipes at Barack Obamaand Joe Biden ... "DO YOU THINK THAT OBUMA OR SLEEPY JOE BIDEN COULD HAVE DONE IT? THE ANSWER IS NO!"
Trump's post comes as the fair has drawn plenty of attention online -- not just for its attractions, but for photos and videos that critics say show lighter-than-expected crowds across large stretches of the Mall.
A far-right influencer and some of his supporters showed up to the BET Awards holding racist signs ... sparking a melee that was caught on video.
See for yourself ... Jake Lang -- who President Trump pardoned for crimes committed during the January 6 insurrection -- had a group of people rush him while outside Sunday's award show at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles ... and it got pretty ugly.
VIDEO THREAD: Pardoned J6er Jake Lang showed up with a few supporters to hold signs disparaging Black people at the BET Awards in Los Angeles, where they were kicked and had bottles thrown at them by an angry and growing crowd.
Bill Maher had one thing on his mind before accepting one of comedy's biggest honors ... and it wasn't his speech -- it was his shoes.
Jacob caught up with him Sunday ahead of receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center ... and while plenty of people are focused on the politics surrounding the night, Bill seemed a whole lot more concerned about making sure his brand-new kicks didn't send him face-first onto the stage.
Check out the video ... his running commentary about the footwear is pretty hilarious. Maher cracks jokes while fielding questions about the honor ... but quickly gets back to what really matters -- his footing.
Former President Joe Biden is taking aim at President Donald Trump ... and his beloved reflecting pool.
Biden unloaded on Trump's makeover of the White House Reflecting Pool during a blistering speech at the Maryland Democratic Party Gala, mocking what he portrayed as the president's obsession with putting his personal stamp on Washington landmarks.
Amidst the former president's words, he said "It's not just his vanity projects ... putting his name on the Kennedy Center. Building an arch in his own honor. Even hiring his own pool guy to fix the Reflecting Pool. Whoa, what a loser" ... drawing cheers from the crowd.
The ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is seemingly being tested as President Trump on Saturday announced a new round of strikes on Iran -- and the devastation was caught on video.
Check out the insane footage -- The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) posted video of the U.S. carrying out 10 strikes on Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities.
The commander-in-chief posted a message to Truth Social on Saturday night, saying U.S. aircraft "struck Iranian missile and drone storage location, and costal radar sites for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN!”
The latest violation occurred early Saturday morning when Iran launched a drone attack on M/T Kiku, a Panamanian oil tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz with more than two-million barrels of crude oil.
