Christian Pulisic plays against Jamaica.

Monday evening, Christian Pulisic, the star of the United States men’s national soccer team, scored in a game against Jamaica and quickly ran to the corner flag. After a jumping punch, the red, white and blue-adorned central midfielder did what has become known as the “Trump Dance,” laughing while moving his arms and hips.

In a post-match interview, Pulisic – a multimillionaire registered as a Republican – was asked about his celebration and denied it had any deeper meaning: “It’s not a political dance. It was just for fun.

Whatever Pulisic meant, there’s no denying that he’s part of a larger group. wave of athletes, from the NFL to the collegiate level, who, following Trump’s 2024 victory, have imitated the president-elect’s dance, which he is known for performing with “YMCA.”

In discussing this trend, liberal Fox News commentator Jessica Tarlov identified a hypocrisy contrasting with the national sports-related outrages that have followed the political statements of stars like Colin Kaepernick And LeBron James: “I guess we’ve come to a point in the Trump era where we’ve moved past the point of silence and dribbling, and now it’s fantastic for athletes to talk about their politics.”

There is no doubt that some athletes dance to show their support for Trump and his agenda. Take San Francisco 49ers pass-rusher Nick Bosa, who, a week before the election, wore a “Make America Great Again” cap in a postgame appearance. He was ultimately docked $11,255 for violating rules prohibiting the posting of written messages on the field, but as the The Wall Street Journal According to reports, the NFL delayed the fine until after Election Day in hopes of avoiding controversy or retaliation from Trump. The following Sunday, Bosa did the Trump dance to celebrate a dismissal; a video went viral after being shared by Sean Hannity on social networks.

Trump’s electoral victory is visible beyond American athletes. Players from English football club Barnsley FC, founded in 1887 and now playing in the third tier of British professional football, celebrated a goal with dancing. The event was broadcast around the world by the team’s social media managers, who shared a video accompanied by the sounds of YMCA. And this month attacks In Amsterdam, Israeli soccer fans were expelled after at least one supporter of Maccabi Tel Aviv, the visiting team, was photographed holding up a Trump banner.

As Trump’s victory reverberates through American culture and around the world, his re-election has confirmed his status as a global right-wing figure. In this sense, the symbols associated with it will always testify to changes in power and politics. When they appear in sports, it’s hard to argue that they’re just “just for fun.”