Trump Administration Using Sports as Political Tool

President Donald Trump is increasingly utilizing sports as a political prop, as first reported by The Guardian. This ideological project manifests through executive orders and policy shifts aimed at returning sports to a perceived 1980s standard.

Reporting from The Guardian highlights several specific actions: Trump issued an executive order to protect the Army-Navy football game's exclusive television time slot, stating that scheduling conflicts from the College Football Playoff's expansion would detract from a "morale-building event of vital interest to the Department of War." Additionally, the administration has issued an executive order attempting to reverse gains made by college athletes regarding their right to be paid for labor and their ability to move between programs.

These political priorities have extended to international diplomacy and talent. The Guardian reports that travel bans and visa curbs have made it more difficult for foreign students and athletes to remain in the U.S. One specific example cited is Los Angeles FC, which sold Venezuela international David Martínez to Denmark's FC Midtjylland for $8.4 million after Martínez struggled to adapt to Los Angeles because his family could not secure visas.

Trump's involvement has also reached high-profile events and infrastructure. He became the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl and more or less ordered the Freedom 250 IndyCar race in Washington D.C. Furthermore, The Guardian notes the administration's efforts to restore the Cleveland Guardians and Washington Commanders to former names described as racist, and a campaign to exclude transgender athletes from women's sports.