JD Vance wants to deport football fans, Scott Bessant wants parents to comfort their children by promising them “economic freedom” and there totally aren’t going to be any trade deals
When they’re not threatening to hammer the global film industry with tariffs and trying to buy Canada, Donald Trump’s White House is in the thick of preparations for next year’s World Cup.
Trump likes the World Cup, you see, because it’s gold. He’s had a replica of the Jules Rimet trophy on the table behind the resolute desk for months.
And last night saw the first meeting of his World Cup task force, updating the nation on preparations.
So obviously JD Vance threatened to deport football fans, and Trump threatened to have them arrested. Standard.
Meanwhile, Trump’s Treasury Secretary told American parents they could stop their children crying by promising them “economic freedom” instead of toys.
And there totally aren’t going to be any trade deals.
All this and more Presidential nonsense from the last 24 hours below.
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1. No trade deals? No problem
During his Oval Office sit-down with Canadian PM Mark Carney yesterday, Trump was drawn into questions about the possibility of trade deals with other countries to avoid his menu of tariffs kicking in.
And Trump took the opportunity to lay the ground for the possibility that far from the 90 trade deals his team promised would be done in 90 days, the actual number could be closer to none. No trade deals. But that’s fine.
“We will sign some deals, but much bigger than that is we’re going to put down the price that people are going to have to pay to shop in the United States,” he said, before launching into a justification for tariffs that could not be more Stephen Miller if words could somehow be pale, bald and give the impression they exist on a diet of bugs.
“Think of us as a super luxury store. A store that has the goods. You’re going to come and you’re going to pay a price and we’re going to give you a very good price, we’re going to make a deal. In some cases we’ll adjust, but that’s where it is.
“We’ve been ripped off by everybody for 50 years and we’re just not going to do that any more.”
Even more bafflingly, he claimed that by not trading with China “we’re losing nothing. So we’re saving a trillion dollars. That’s a lot.”
2. Seriously, there aren’t any deals
At a press conference in the Oval later on, Trump doubled down.
“I could announce 50 to 100 deals right now, because I’m the shopkeeper and I keep the store,” Trump said – and to be clear, the 50-100 deals he’s talking about there is…no deal, and countries paying the tariffs he’s decided.
“I know what countries are looking for and I know what we’re looking for and I can just set those terms and they can go shopping or they don’t have to go shopping, because everybody wants to shop here.”
3. Scott Bessent had some hard truths for America’s children
The White House’s war on kids rumbles on. After Trump repeatedly told American parents they wouldn’t be able to afford 30 dolls for their daughters any more and would have to make do with two, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had even more hard truths for America’s children.
Asked what he would tell a little girl upset at being denied toys, he told (who else?) Fox News: “I would tell that young girl that you will have a better life than your parents.
“That you and your family can now be confident again, that you will have a better life than your parents. Working class Americans had abandoned that idea.”
He went on to say he’d tell children they will have “economic freedom”.
Boy, does he know what kids want.
READ MORE: MIKEY SMITH: 42 wild and unhinged moments from Donald Trump’s first 100 days back in the White House
4. Carney told him to his face that Canada isn’t for sale
Trump has frequently said he wants America to take over Canada – making it the 51st state.
And he frequently referred to Mr Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau as “Governor Trudeau” – implying his country was, indeed, a state.
But he was given a calm, stern rebuke by Mr Carney during his first visit to the White House yesterday.
Canada’s new PM responded to the President’s overtures, saying: “As you know from real estate there are some places that are never for sale. We’re sitting in one right now. Buckingham Palace that you visited as well.
“And having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign, the last several months, it’s not for sale. Won’t be for sale, ever.
“But the opportunity is in the partnership, and what we can do together.”
Trump responded: “We’ll see…time will tell”.
5. JD Vance threatened to deport football fans
At a meeting of Trump’s “World Cup Taskforce” – the tournament is taking place in America, Mexico and Canada next year – JD Vance made, at best, an ill judged joke.
“We’ll have visitors from close to 100 countries,” he declared. “We want them to come, we want them to celebrate, we want them to watch the game.
“But when the time is up, they’ll have to go home, otherwise they’ll have to take to [Homeland Security] Secretary Norm.”
Way to make fans feel welcome…
6. And Trump kind of threatened them too, in a different way
Asked whether football fans who have taken part in pro-Palestinian protests across the world should be concerned about being able to come to the World Cup in the US, Trump said: “I think people are allowed to protest. You have to do it in a reasonable manner. Not necessarily friendly, but reasonable.
“Otherwise Pam [Bondi, the Attorney General] will come after you and you will have a big problem.”
Come on Football!
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7. Trump didn’t know Russia were banned from the World Cup
Asked what his position was on Russia’s ban from the World Cup, in place since 2022 when they invaded Ukraine, Trump turned to Gianni Infantino, the President of FIFA and asked “I didn’t know that. Is that right?”
There followed a moment when the head of FIFA had to explain that yes, Russia was banned from the World Cup, and that Russia wouldn’t be readmitted unless they end their illegal war. It might have been toughest stance on Russia heard in a White House meeting this year.
8. Trump blamed millions of deaths on Justin Trudeau
Trump blamed Russia’s ban from the G8 (now the G7) group of nations – and, for some reason, the invasion of Ukraine, on Justin Trudeau and Barack Obama.
It’s unclear how he came to these conclusions.
“I thought it was a very bad decision. It was headed by Trudeau, by the way, and Obama. They were the ones who really fought hard to get Russia out. I think if Russia were in …they threw them out, and because of that, maybe millions – you know, millions, the numbers are far greater than you think – but millions of people are dying. If he was sitting around a table with people hammering him and saying “let’s not do this” I think you wouldn’t probably have had the problems that you’ve had.
Russia was suspended from the group in 2014. Russia itself held the Presidency of the group that year. Canada didn’t take the Presidency until 2018. Russia was finally expelled permanently in 2018.