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CNN This Morning
Team USA Red Card Reversal Tied to Trump; Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Tie the Knot at Madison Square Garden. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired July 06, 2026 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[06:00:10]
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Today in the group chat, the U.S. men's team's star player suspended until President Trump entered the chat. Now that one-game ban has been lifted, and some fans and coaches are crying foul.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely think that Trump played a trump card.
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HILL: White nationalists marching through the streets of D.C. on July Fourth. Is it free speech or intimidation? The White House take.
The Reflecting Pool may need to be drained this week for yet another round of repairs. So just how much more could this latest fix cost taxpayers?
In a crucial Michigan Senate race, one candidate gets an important backer; another drops out. So, how will this change the face of that race?
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MICHIGAN STATE SENATOR MALLORY MCMORROW (D), FORMER CANDIDATE, MICHIGAN SENATE RACE: I may be suspending this campaign, but I am not leaving the fight.
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HILL: The red card reversal heard round the world, boosting Team USA before a critical World Cup match and forcing the U.S. Men's coach to respond to reports of an assist from the White House.
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MAURICIO POCHETTINO, UNITED STATES HEAD COACH: I am listening different coaches, different, you know, federation that talk about, oh, the president called the -- this, that. No. Everything want to be involved, is not surprise me.
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HILL: Doesn't surprise him.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Erica Hill, in for Audie Cornish.
The U.S. has a huge World Cup showdown, of course, tonight with Belgium. And now, one of their stars will be on the pitch after FIFA on Sunday shocked the tournament by sidelining the suspension of U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun, who was supposed to sit out due to that red card in the previous game.
The suspension was supposedly not able to be reviewed. A source, however, tells CNN President Trump personally called FIFA's president to ask for a review.
And then, a few days later, the penalty was set aside by an independent commission, citing an obscure FIFA rule. I believe it's Rule 27.
Trump applauded the move on social media, posting, "Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right and reversing a great injustice."
Belgium's manager, meantime, compared the announcement to April Fool's Day.
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RUDI GARCIA, BELGIUM HEAD COACH (through translator): I didn't realize that at FIFA headquarters, July 5th was the equivalent of April 1st in Europe.
The Belgian Football Association isn't defending itself, nor is it defending the national team. It's defending football in general.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Joining me now in the group chat, Mario Parker, managing editor, economy and government at Bloomberg News; Joey Garrison, White House reporter, "USA Today"; and Eleanor Mueller, White -- White House reporter at "Semafor."
So, CNN, you know, according to the reporting, there's some reporting that Trump made a phone call. FIFA says this was an independent commission that made this decision. Eleanor, what are you hearing this morning?
ELEANOR MUELLER, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, "SEMAFOR": Well, it's on brand for Trump, right? To take issue with something and believe he can change it. We know that Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, was involved in this talks. He -- he's this type of guy. He's the let me call them. Let me talk to them. Let me see what I can do.
And it also, I mean, is proof, I think, of this relationship between Trump and the FIFA president. The FIFA president created this FIFA Peace Prize to give to Trump when he was upset about not getting the Nobel Peace Prize.
And so, in some ways, this makes a lot of sense. Of course, that doesn't change the fact that it is precedent-shattering.
HILL: It is -- it was remarkable, I will say, Mario, that so much of what we have seen so far in the tournament, the president didn't seem to be all that interested. It felt delightfully nonpolitical. Are those days now over, Mario?
MARIO PARKER, MANAGING EDITOR, ECONOMY AND GOVERNMENT, BLOOMBERG NEWS: Yes, those days are over. It was only a matter of time, right? I mean, we're two weeks or three weeks out from when the president visited the NBA finals in New York, for example, as well. We know that the president hosted a UFC fight on the White House grounds. He's a sports aficionado.
The fact that this call was controversial, it did allow for the president. It gave the president an opportunity to kind of put his finger on the scale.
Now, obviously, some of the -- the criticism that we've heard from opponents are that this is a bad precedent that could be set, but also whether or not the U.S. wins, whether the -- whether the U.S. wins tonight or not, they may have an asterisk now, just based off of this action.
HILL: In terms of that asterisk, it's interesting, I think, some of the comments that we heard from fans. I mean, certainly, we heard, you know, coaches, managers speaking out here, but CNN spoke to some fans, as well. Just take a listen to their take.
[06:05:12]
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You really want to hope that that's not the case. But with all the rumors about the FIFA president going around and the fact that Trump's got his nose in everything, I wouldn't be surprised.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody gets a red card. Everybody has the right to go to the president and ask for help. I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe this is a favored nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: You know, we look at -- when we look at where we are at, Joey, you know, Mario mentioned, like, there is a question of whether this taints things.
How does the White House look at this? Is this exactly the outcome that they may have wanted, that President Trump would want? To be able to say, oh, I picked up the phone?
JOEY GARRISON, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, "USA TODAY": Well, I think President Trump certainly enjoys that narrative; that maybe he did have something to do with this -- this change.
You know, the White House, or a U.S. official says that the right outcome was ultimately picked here. Officials who talked to me said that Trump simply wanted to, quote, "better understand" the rules for FIFA when it comes to appeals during the World Cup. But it's hard not to think that Trump's call to the FIFA president played a role.
But -- but yes, I mean, as -- as others have said here, I mean, Trump loves nothing better to -- than to use his contacts and to show that he can get a quick result.
But yes, it's enraged Belgium in the process. And if the U.S. does win, you know, I think you're going to see that ramped up further, especially if he were to score a goal tonight.
HILL: We will be watching to see.
Much more to come ahead this morning on CNN THIS MORNING. Mourners lining the streets in Iran. CNN is on the ground in Tehran for the funeral procession of Iran's late supreme leader.
Plus, House Speaker Mike Johnson has a new plan to get Trump's SAVE Act across the finish line. But can he actually get everyone on board?
And a Delta flight hit by fireworks on Saturday as it landed at Chicago Midway. Air traffic controllers say there had been multiple reports of similar incidents. The FAA now investigating.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tower, we just had a firework hit our plane. We're just hoping it was just a mortar that went off underneath, but definitely felt a big bang.
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[06:12:04]
HILL: Eleven minutes past the hour. Now here's your morning roundup.
President Trump preparing for his trip to Turkey for a critical NATO summit as the alliance faces continued stress over the Ukraine war, simmering tensions in the Middle East, and Trump's repeated attacks on allies and the alliance itself for not supporting the war with Iran.
Trump is set to meet with Ukraine's president on the sidelines of the conference.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: LaGuardia Tower, mayday, mayday, mayday! The plane down on the water.
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HILL: A small seaplane making a hard landing in New York's East River on Sunday. Officials say eight people were removed from the aircraft by first responders. Just two suffered minor injuries.
The FAA is now investigating.
Repairing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is now expected to cost taxpayers upwards of $16 million. That is, of course, ballooning from the initial estimate of under $2 million.
Trump had pledged to restore the pool in time for the nation's 250th birthday, but shortly after, the bottom was repainted American flag blue, the green algae returned. Pieces of the coating began peeling off the bottom.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told CNN, though, he's 100 percent sure vandals caused all that damage.
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DOUG BURGUM, INTERIOR SECRETARY: This is, like, a strong material, and it's the size of eight football fields. And the only way you can end up with actual slices in one spot and not the other, is that someone physically cut it.
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HILL: The administration has not offered evidence to support that claim, but despite being asked multiple times. Burgum says the contractors will finish the repairs, noting they did a, quote, "fantastic job."
After the break here on CNN THIS MORNING, Taylor and Travis, of course, have said their "I do's" now. The dress, the guest list, who caught the bouquet. The new details we have for you this morning.
Plus, raucous fans, altitude, home team advantage, all of that adding up to a match for the ages between England and Mexico.
And good morning, Baltimore. Sun starting to come up there. We hope it will peak through. See you back in a couple minutes.
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[06:18:15]
HILL: Well, now that it's official, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are newlyweds. Fans are still waiting for some more details about the wedding spectacle that took place inside Madison Square Garden.
Some of the guests -- musicians, actors, athletes, and more -- are starting to share little tiny tidbits of their experiences on social media, including the sister of Kansas City Chiefs lineman Trey Smith, who revealed she caught Taylor's bouquet.
Fans already using that picture, of course, to go down deep in the rabbit hole, speculating on the color scheme of the wedding. All the things you can pull from that little bouquet.
Kansas City Chiefs Coach Andy Reid, by the way, recounting to CNN what he thought was the most memorable moment of the night.
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ANDY REID, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS HEAD COACH: I would probably tell you, Adam Sandler doing a phenomenal job with the vows -- or the ceremony. And -- and just how he went about bringing a little bit of humor, but also some sensitivity to the -- to what was going on.
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HILL: Joining me now, Brian West. He, of course, is the Taylor Swift reporter for "USA Today."
Brian, great to have you with us this morning, especially because you have some new details this morning about what went down, including a little Taylor karaoke during the night?
BRIAN WEST, TAYLOR SWIFT REPORTER, "USA TODAY": Good morning, Erica. We do have some details that are coming out.
And for something that has been shrouded in secrecy, especially among the guests, what's really interesting is kind of the flow.
So, everybody saw that long line, the caravan of cars that was pulling up. As soon as guests entered, they went into these tents that you see there. The -- the workers pulled the tent behind them. They were able to walk up this area.
I'm told that the esthetic was very peach, apricot, kind of a pink color. There were cutouts of Taylor and Travis on either side that were them, their entire ages. There was pictures of them as a couple.
[06:20:05]
As they walked out into Madison Square Garden, though, we're told that it was intimate. It didn't feel like an arena or a stadium.
Adam Sandler appeared as the officiant. They exchanged vows that were both funny and heartfelt. He offered his best piece of advice, being, of course, kiss often.
Then afterwards, they went to the reception, which was in a different area. I'm told they couldn't tell which area of the floor that they were in.
It was lush. There was greenery everywhere. There was arcade games where you could win tickets for raffles, for designer handbags, Cartier watches. There was also a lot of food there. Tall, five-foot story, illuminated trees.
And then that's what I'm told, for the reception, that Taylor and Travis were up there. They were singing. Stevie Nicks perform. Paul McCartney performed. And then there was, of course, dancing and karaoke, inviting people like Sabrina Carpenter, Ice Spice on stage to come up and sing. HILL: I mean, you've got quite the cast of characters to choose from
for your karaoke. I'm just wondering if anybody did "Islands in the Stream," because it's a classic.
When you talk about -- I'm floored by the -- the carnival games where you could win a Cartier watch, a designer handbag. We had this list, almost a run of show, if you will, that was posted by AMC CEO Adam Aron, just literally going through everything that happened. And then that was quickly deleted.
How accurate do you think it was? And how much do you think this may have disrupted the actual rollout strategy from Taylor and Travis?
WEST: So, I do think it was pretty accurate. Adam Aron is known for tweeting a lot. I think that is his favorite form of social media. And the fact that it was deleted is what is the most glaring.
So, I imagine somebody maybe from her team or his team was like, hey, this needs to be deleted. But of course, in today's day and age of technology, once it's out there, everybody grabs it. And then that's what they cling onto.
And something that has been completely secret. Not a lot of details have emerged. And out of a thousand people guest list, that's pretty rare and amazing feat in and of itself.
What I would say is just this was probably affecting the rollout strategy, especially because, you know, the photos and videos. I imagine that Taylor will release those when she's ready.
Since it hasn't been so close to the Fourth, I'm wondering if it's not today, if they're going to hold onto it. Remember, the engagement photos were 13 days.
HILL: So, maybe we'll have to wait 13 days, since I'm told that's her favorite number.
It's hard to miss, though. AMC had this direct partnership, right, with Taylor Swift for the Eras Tour, right? The CEO was there.
There were -- some of our correspondents spotted signs that there was filming in the area. The fact that we haven't even had a single picture.
We've had one press release, essentially, from Taylor's team. Is this all building up to the wedding itself being packaged into some sort of a documentary? I mean, are we going to have to, you know, pay for this at Disney or Netflix or something?
WEST: So, Swifties are already excited at the opportunity that could be a documentary, docuseries. I could also see this maybe being a music video. A lot of country stars do that. A lot of singers do that, where they take their wedding footage kind of on a montage.
So, with Taylor, I could see her putting those together, maybe a 30- second clip. It is entirely possible, though, that she does, you know, turn this
into a documentary. She did that with her concert, the Eras Tour.
HILL: All right, well, maybe we'll get a clip first, teasing to the full doc later on.
Brian, good to have you. Thank you.
WEST: Thank you.
HILL: Straight ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING, she was a candidate who wanted to find a lane between the far left and establishment Dems. Now, she is ending her bid for Senate. So, is there any room left in the middle for Democrats?
Plus --
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A red card is a red card. And if there's a rule that you miss a game, you miss a game.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: It's a red card until it's not, apparently. The red card reversal heard round the world. Can Belgium do anything to fight the lifted ban?
Plus, residents in D.C. experiencing the worst air quality in the world on Sunday, prompting a code red air quality alert from city officials. Why?
Well, this 40 minutes of fireworks had a whole lot to do with it.
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[06:28:55]
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The reversal is a little weird, and the timing is a little strange.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd be really annoyed if I was a Belgium fan. It's good for the USA, though.
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HILL: As questions continue to swirl over just how U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun was cleared to play, the U.S. coach is trying to steer the conversation back to where he wants it: to the game.
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POCHETTINO: We need to celebrate that we -- you know, I think it's fair, that decision not to punish more us, because I think it was enough. And now focus on the game.
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HILL: So, FIFA's decision here means the Americans will, of course, get their leading scorer back for this pivotal Round of 16 showdown with Belgium tonight in Seattle.
Balogun posting this image of himself, no caption, shortly after learning he would play.
Meantime, the Royal Belgian Football Association said in a statement they are investigating all available legal -- or all potential legal options.
Joining us now, Roger Bennett. He's the founder of Men in Blazers Media Network and author of the book "We Are the World Cup: A Personal History of the World's Greatest Sporting Event."
It's great to have you here. So, as I mentioned, you know, the Royal Belgian Football Association, they had also said they were astonished. Currently investigating all potential legal options.
[06:30:00]
