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The hypocrisy of the"Keep Politics out of Sports" crowd
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
At the beginning of US President Donald Trump's first term, then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sparked a movement across the sports world by taking a stand - and a kneel - against police brutality and racial disparities in the United States.
For some, Kaepernick's actions were a long-overdue statement of something that has been present in the United States for its entire history. But for many conservatives, it was an ill-timed distraction from the sport that they loved the most.
Ultimately, the movement spread across the entire sports world. Many Black NFL players began kneeling during the national anthem. NBA and WNBA teams wore t-shirts during warm-ups with slogans such as "Black Lives Matter." The NFL, despite initial resistance from the league and team owners, changed course and now includes messages of anti-racism and pro-inclusion on helmets and end zones.
Despite such a positive and inclusive message, many on the right continue to object to the unavoidable intersection of sports and politics. Fox News host Laura Ingraham famously told NBA legend LeBron James to "shut up and dribble."
"I watch sports to turn off."
"Keep politics out of sports."
"Shut up and dribble."
"There's a time and a place for protest."
The reality is, sports and politics are forever interwined. Politics are a direct reflection of society, including pay discrepancies, racial injustices, a lack of LGBTQ+ inclusion, public funding, and cultural norms. In fact, championship sports teams have visited the White House at least since Andrew Johnson first invited amateur baseball teams to the White House in 1865.
Despite that, a majority of conservatives have objected to the political inclusion in sports.
Fast forward to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the second term of President Donald J. Trump.
It seems that the "Keep politics out of sports" crowd is now perfectly fine with including politics in sports, now that the world's largest sporting event is being co-hosted by Trump and arguably his biggest supporter in the sports world.
For months, the Trump administration has used sport to make political statements. Hell, the United States is currently at odds with its World Cup co-hosts after Trump has threatened to make Canada the 51st state and continues to suggest military action against Mexico and Canada among other imperialistic threats.
The United States currently has travel bans against four competing World Cup countries (Haiti, Senegal, Iran and Ivory Coast). Referees and team personnel have been denied entry into the United States, including a Somali referee and Iranian staff. So much of the Iranian team was denied visas and entry that they relocated their home base from the United States to Mexico and will effectively commute to their games in Los Angeles and Seattle.
And yet conservatives now praise the statements made on and off the field, arguing that politics are more important than sports. That their agenda of immigration and America-first mindset shall never waver. That the largest sports platform in the world is exactly the time to make political statements.
The "keep politics out of sports" crowds seems perfectly fine with making sports a political statement and agenda now that they can express their views during the game and tournament. But the difference is that the statements expressed by Colin Kaepernick and those in support of his movement were meant to be inclusive, diverse, and a way to make sports a haven for those regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, and background.
That's not the case for those weaponizing the 2026 World Cup. Instead, it's an opportunity to show that those who are non-American and people of color are not entitled to the same rights and acceptance of American citizens.
But politics and sports are complete separate, right?
Those that want to keep politics out of sports don't want to truly exclude politics. They only want them included if they support their agenda.