Trump’s presence at the US Open men’s final wasn’t just intended as a soft power grab, the kind of routine stunt Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un and the other despots he admires pull all the time at sports events – except with recruitment ads for Ice playing across the US. No, Trump’s presence was intended as a distraction. Not a distraction for him;... See more

For Trump, then, sports are not just entertainment or policy – they are political infrastructure. They allow him to amplify grievances, mobilise identity, and project a vision of America rooted in toughness, discipline, and global visibility on his terms.

This could also be part of a ploy to gain more control over American institutions, experts say. As president, Trump has “asserted his dominance over politics, higher education and corporations,” and sports is “another venue he is trying to influence,” said The Boston Globe. While “most presidents have tried to use sports to unite a divided nation,... See more

. From inserting himself into the ceaseless Pete Rose Hall of Fame discussion to calling for the NFL’s Washington Commanders and MLB’s Cleveland Guardians to revert to their old, racist names, Trump seems intent on being America’s Commander in Chief of Sports, imposing his worldview on an area of society that has heretofore resisted such efforts.