Trump marks one-year anniversary of assassination attempt at the FIFA Club World Cup final
The president joined the players on the field after the match to congratulate the tournament's outstanding performers, present PSG players with their runner-up medals and hand Chelsea their championship trophy.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump were greeted with cheers as they arrived at MetLife Stadium just ahead of the pre-match performance by musical artists Robbie Williams and Laura Pausini. And the president got a smattering of boos when he was briefly shown on the stadium's mega-screen.
The president waved to the crowd and pumped his fist as he and his entourage arrived at the stadium luxury box, where they took in the match with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his wife, Leena Al Ashqar.
Other guests spotted in the president's suite included Attorney General Pam Bondi, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, NFL great Tom Brady and media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
MetLife in a little over a year will host the 2026 World Cup final.
Chelsea, of the English Premier League, spoiled PSG's bid to win its fourth major title of the season, exactly 100 days after PSG clinched Ligue 1 on April 5. The Paris team added the Coupe de France by beating Reims 3-0 on May 24, then romped over Inter Milan seven days later in the Champions League Final.
Chelsea dominated throughout, racing out to a 3-0 lead in the first half behind a pair of goals from Cole Palmer and one from Joao Pedro.
Sunday's match fell on the first anniversary of the assassination attempt Trump survived in Butler, Pennsylvania, while campaigning for president.
In an interview with his daughter-in-law and Fox News show host Lara Trump that aired Saturday, Trump briefly touched on the anniversary but was otherwise muted.
The U.S. Secret Service announced last week that six staffers had been disciplined with suspensions ranging from 10 to 42 days without pay over the incident.
"I have great confidence in these people," Trump said. "I know the people and they're very talented, very capable."
The international sporting match also offered an opportunity for Trump and aides to huddle with Qatari government officials.
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, in a brief exchange with reporters ahead of the match, said he remained "hopeful" about Gaza ceasefire and hostage negotiations.
Witkoff, who joined Trump for the tournament finale, appeared to nod affirmatively when asked by reporters if he planned on meeting with senior officials from the Gulf nation of Qatar, which is serving as an intermediary with Hamas in the talks, during the match.
"I'll be meeting them," Witkoff said.
The president, who has a warm relationship with Infantino, has said he plans to attend multiple matches of the World Cup tournament next year that will be held at stadiums in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Preparations for next year's big soccer moment for North America are well underway. But it comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and its neighbors over proposed tariffs, immigration and Trump repeatedly saying that Canada should become the 51st state.
Trump earlier this year said the tensions will only make the tournament more "exciting."
" Tension's a good thing, " Trump said.
Sporting events have made up the bulk of Trump's trips in the U.S. since taking office this year. In addition to his visit this weekend to the soccer tournament, he's attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans, the Daytona 500 in Florida, UFC fights in Miami and Newark, New Jersey, and the NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nikkei Asia
9 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Cambodia to start military conscription from 2026, Hun Manet says
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet during a June visit to Preah Vihear on the border with Thailand. The leader announced on July 14 that enforcement of his nation's conscription law would begin in 2026. © AKP/AP ANANTH BALIGA and MENG KROYPUNLOK PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia will start military conscription next year, Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Monday, amid rising tensions over the nation's border with Thailand. Speaking at the anniversary of a military police academy, the prime minister said he would implement a 2006 law that mandates 18 months of conscription for Cambodian men aged between 18 and 30.
The Mainichi
10 hours ago
- The Mainichi
European trade ministers meet to forge strategy after Trump's surprise 30% tariffs
BRUSSELS (AP) -- European trade ministers are meeting in Brussels on Monday, following U.S. President Donald Trump's surprise announcement of 30% tariffs on the European Union. The EU is America's biggest business partner and the world's largest trading bloc. The U.S. decision will have repercussions for governments, companies and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. "We shouldn't impose countermeasures at this stage, but we should prepare to be ready to use all the tools in the toolbox," said Denmark's foreign minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, told reporters ahead of the meeting. "So we want a deal, but there's an old saying: 'If you want peace, you have to prepare for war.'" The tariffs, also imposed on Mexico, are set to start on Aug. 1 and could make everything from French cheese and Italian leather goods to German electronics and Spanish pharmaceuticals more expensive in the U.S., and destabilize economies from Portugal to Norway. Meanwhile, Brussels decided to suspend retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods scheduled to take effect Monday in hopes of reaching a trade deal with the Trump administration by the end of the month. The "countermeasures" by the EU, which negotiates trade deals on behalf of its 27 member countries, will be delayed until Aug. 1. Trump's letter shows "that we have until the first of August" to negotiate, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels on Sunday. Maros Sefcovic, the EU's trade representative in its talks with the U.S., said negotiations would continue "I'm absolutely 100% sure that a negotiated solution is much better than the tension which we might have after the 1st of August," he told reporters in Brussels on Monday. "I cannot imagine walking away without genuine effort. Having said that, the current uncertainty caused by unjustified tariffs cannot persist indefinitely and therefore we must prepare for all outcomes, including, if necessary, well-considered proportionate countermeasures to restore the balance in our transit static relationship." The letters to the EU and Mexico come in the midst of an on-and-off Trump threat to impose tariffs on countries and right an imbalance in trade. Trump imposed tariffs in April on dozens of countries, before pausing them for 90 days to negotiate individual deals. As the three-month grace period ended this week, he began sending tariff letters to leaders, but again has pushed back the implementation day for what he says will be just a few more weeks. If he moves forward with the tariffs, it could have ramifications for nearly every aspect of the global economy. In the wake of the new tariffs, European leaders largely closed ranks, calling for unity but also a steady hand to not provoke further acrimony. Just last week, Europe was cautiously optimistic. Officials told reporters on Friday they weren't expecting a letter like the one sent Saturday and that a trade deal was to be inked in "the coming days." For months, the EU has broadcast that it has strong retaliatory measures ready if talks fail. Reeling from successive rebukes from Washington, Sefcovic said Monday the EU is "doubling down on efforts to open new markets" and pointed to a new economic agreement with Indonesia as one. The EU top brass will visit Beijing fora summit later this month while courting other Pacific nations like South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia, whose prime minister visited Brussels over the weekend to sign a new economic partnership with the EU. It also has mega-deals in the works with Mexico and a trading bloc of South American nations known as Mercosur. While meeting with Indonesia's president on Sunday, Von der Leyen said that "when economic uncertainty meets geopolitical volatility, partners like us must come closer together."
Japan Times
12 hours ago
- Japan Times
Trump's Iran attack shows what it takes to win his military support
When American forces carried out airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities last month, the world was shocked that U.S. President Donald Trump, who has consistently maintained that he wanted to avoid foreign military confrontations, directly attacked the Middle Eastern country, even though it was described as just a 'surgical strike.' The attack may have triggered tectonic shifts in the Gulf region, and the rivalry between Iran, the United States and Israel is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. While global attention may now turn to the possibility of a Gaza cease-fire or more U.S. strikes on Iran, my focus is elsewhere. The most significant point about this incident is the lesson it offers U.S. allies, especially in the Indo-Pacific, about how to convince a hesitant U.S. president to take military action abroad. Israel managed to persuade Trump — who had long avoided foreign intervention — to strike Iran. As a former diplomat, I was struck by the extent of Israel's diplomatic influence, especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political and negotiating skills, which surpassed all expectations.
