The curse of Donald Trump: where he goes, sporting defeat follows
A New Superstition Takes Root: Trump's Sporting Curse
The curse of Donald Trump - There are countless omens that supposedly herald misfortune in our daily lives. Perhaps you've heard the warnings about shattering a mirror, strolling beneath a ladder, or allowing salt to scatter across your kitchen floor. Even the sudden appearance of a black feline crossing your path has long been considered an ill omen. Yet following the dramatic events of this past week, there is now compelling reason to append another item to this venerable catalog of bad luck: the enthusiastic endorsement and active involvement of Donald J. Trump.
The World Cup Incident
The president inserted himself directly into the fortunes of the American men's soccer squad over the weekend. In a move that captured global attention, Trump personally petitioned FIFA president Gianna Infantino to reverse a controversial red card that had been issued to the team's premier forward, Folarin Balogun. His intervention proved successful. The disputed red card was overturned, generating considerable controversy throughout the worldwide football community while simultaneously clearing Balogun to participate in Monday's crucial match against Belgium.
However, the timing of this intervention proved fateful. Prior to Trump's involvement, the United States appeared to be enjoying perhaps their most impressive World Cup campaign in generations. Following the presidential intervention, however, the squad experienced a dramatic collapse. Their tournament journey concluded with a lackluster display and a decisive 4-1 loss. The American team had apparently fallen victim to what many are now calling the curse of Donald Trump.
A Growing Pattern of Defeat
An expanding collection of evidence indicates that wherever the president appears, athletic teams tend to suffer defeat. This phenomenon spans multiple sporting arenas, from basketball courts to NASCAR circuits, from golf courses to NFL stadiums. Trump's presence consistently serves as a harbinger of loss across virtually every sport he attends.
The theory gained considerable momentum after Trump attended game three of the NBA finals in June. The New York Knicks had been performing magnificently, riding an impressive streak of thirteen consecutive victories. Yet with Trump watching from the stands (occasionally taking naps), the Knicks experienced their first defeat in weeks. A clear pattern began to emerge.
During the previous November, Trump made history as the first sitting American president in nearly half a century to attend a regular-season NFL contest. He traveled to the Washington Commanders' stadium to observe their matchup against the Detroit Lions. The Commanders were thoroughly defeated, falling 44-22 in a disappointing performance.
Racing and Golf: More Examples
Earlier in the year, Trump had visited the Daytona 500. The race endured three and a half hours of weather-related delays. When Trump previously served as grand marshal for this same event in 2020, the race was suspended after merely twenty laps, with rain forcing postponement until the following day—only the second occurrence of such a delay in the race's history.
The examples continue accumulating. In September, the golf enthusiast Trump positioned himself prominently at the Ryder Cup, observing the American team face European competitors. Europe emerged victorious, securing their first triumph on American soil in thirteen years and only their fifth overall victory in the competition's history.
During January, Trump traveled to Miami to witness the College Football Playoff National Championship between the Miami Hurricanes and the Indiana Hoosiers. Indiana claimed the victory.
Historical Precedents
The Trump sporting curse is hardly a recent development. During his first presidential term, he spent an October evening at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., watching the Washington Nationals compete against the Houston Astros in the World Series. The Nationals lost that particular game 7-1, though they managed to win the series overall—partly because Trump was absent for game seven.
The Irony of Trump's Self-Image
This athletic ill fortune might not matter significantly to most observers. We can all acknowledge that Trump's policies carry far more substantial consequences for countless people than the outcomes of sporting events he feels compelled to attend. However, the phenomenon persists because the president remains remarkably obsessed with portraying himself as an eternal winner, despite all available evidence to the contrary.
"We're winning so much," Trump declared during a speech to Congress this year. "That we really don't know what to do about it." He continued: "People are asking me: 'Please, please, please, Mr President. We're winning too much. We can't take it any more. We're not used to winning in our country. Until you came along, we were just always losing, but now we're winning too much.' And I say: 'No, no, no. You're going to win again. You're going to win big. You're going to win bigger than ever.'"
Yet the accumulating evidence suggests something quite different. Wherever Trump goes, teams don't just lose—they lose considerably. They lose bigger than ever before, adding another chapter to what may become one of the most peculiar sporting superstitions of our era.