. 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.

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

What played out Sunday was a microcosm of Trump's presidency and his relationship with American sport. It's sportswashing, using these games to distract from the important matters of our times.

Trump is hardly the first president to step into the sportscast. And it’s not always a bad thing when it happens. Could anybody find fault with President George W. Bush for throwing out the first pitch before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series at Yankee Stadium? The United States was still reeling from the 9/11 terrorist strikes, and Bush’s appearance... See more