The Seattle Times was criticized on social media for a post claiming that some fans in Seattle have “mixed feelings” about supporting the United States men’s national team in the FIFA World Cup.
In a post on X, the outlet shared an article in which one person, Carey Lefkowitz, was reported to have said he is “struggling to separate his love for U.S. soccer from his negative feelings about high ticket prices, President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigrants, and Trump’s war with Iran.”
While Lefkowitz said it was “hard” for him to “imagine not watching the World Cup and rooting for the U.S. players,” it was also hard for him to “imagine enthusiastically cheering against their opponents, because he thinks Trump is tarnishing what it means to be American on the global stage.”
Per the outlet, other people, such as Mark Cairns, who “doesn’t like Trump,” stated that they would still “root for the U.S. regardless”:
Not everyone is ambivalent. Some local soccer fans say current affairs actually won’t affect their approach to this summer’s tournament at all. They see sports as an escape from politics and the World Cup as an opportunity for Americans with disparate perspectives to unite behind a single cause.
Although Mark Cairns doesn’t like Trump, “I would root for the U.S. regardless, unless we became a communist country or something,” said the Leschi business owner, who traveled to Los Angeles for the team’s opening win against Paraguay and has a ticket to Friday’s game against Australia.
“Some Seattle soccer fans have mixed feelings about patriotically backing the U.S. team during the FIFA Men’s World Cup, given the actions of President Donald Trump,” the post from The Seattle Times said.
Several people took to social media to respond to the outlet’s post, pointing out that support for the U.S. in the FIFA World Cup was huge, and labeling The Seattle Times “retarded” in response to their post.
“THEY HATE THIS COUNTRY,” Fox News host Laura Ingraham wrote in a post on X.
“Then move!” another person wrote. “You’re a small faction of the miserable because you’re ignorant slugs.. look around you.. join Team America, or go be angry about your radical lunatic nonsense in another country. Signed, The Majority ( by a lot) of Proud Americans, and the lovely visitors from all over the globe who see how blessed we are to live in the Greatest country on earth.”
“USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA!!” actor and comedian Rob Schneider wrote in a post on X. “The Seattle Times is RETARDED.”
Barstool Sports posted a video to X in which a crowd of people in the streets of Seattle were heard chanting, “U-S-A!” Man in the video was seen playing the drums twice, as people in the crowd shouted “U” and clapped their hands together above their heads. Once again, the man played the drums twice and the people shouted, “S” as they again clapped their hands.
“Honored to have stood for many National Anthems and flyovers in my military and sportswriting careers,” Gregg Bell, a reporter with the Tacoma News Tribune wrote in a post. “This before #USMNT vs #Socceroos inside roaring Lumen Field in Seattle was special. Usher next to me was crying.”
In Bell’s post he shared a video of the U.S. National Anthem playing prior to the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team game against Australia. In the video, fans in the stadium were seen singing along, and people were heard cheering as a flyover took place over the stadium.