Senator JD Vance faced criticism on Tuesday after making an offhand remark during a press conference about the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The announcement introduced Andrew Giuliani, son of former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, as the leader of a new task force for the upcoming tournament.
The 2026 World Cup will be held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It is expected to bring in thousands of international visitors and generate major tourism revenue.
Instead of focusing on the economic benefits and international excitement surrounding the event, Vance made a controversial joke about deportation.
“We’ll have visitors from close to 100 countries,” Vance said. “We want them to come, we want them to celebrate, we want them to watch the game. But when the time is up, they’ll have to go home, otherwise they’ll have to talk to [Homeland Security] Secretary Noem.”
His remarks sparked backlash from critics who viewed the comment as inappropriate and unwelcoming, especially given the global nature of the event.
