Comedian Rosie O'Donnell told Variety she was "horrified" by Donald Trump's alleged intervention at this year's World Cup, in which she says the US president personally lobbied FIFA president Gianni Infantino to overturn a red card issued to American player Folarin Balogun. According to the article, the reversal — described as the first of its kind since 1962 — allowed Balogun to feature in the United States' round-of-16 match against Belgium, but struck many observers as an improper use of presidential influence over a sporting body.

O'Donnell, a long-standing critic of Trump, condemned both the American team and its fans for going along with the decision, and branded Trump "a failure at everything he's ever tried". She also reacted to an AI-generated video, shared by the White House's official account, depicting Trump as a doctor diagnosing celebrities including her with a fictional "Trump derangement syndrome". The piece notes the wider context of Trump's attempts to end birthright citizenship and his past threat to revoke O'Donnell's citizenship. She was speaking to promote her one-woman show, "Common Knowledge", opening in New York on 22 July.