United States President Donald Trump found himself at the center of another controversy earlier this month after he got involved in FIFA’s unprecedented decision to rescind the red card suspension handed to United States striker Folarin Balogun. Now, as one of the nation’s top Democrats pushes for an investigation, Trump and the White House have responded.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, is demanding that FIFA turn over all records related to its communications with Trump, members of his administration, and the Trump Organization as he launches an inquiry into any potential wrongdoing.

The White House has downplayed any concern, calling Raskin “a stupid person’s idea of a smart person.”

Over the course of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Trump and the United States drew widespread criticism over a number of issues surrounding the tournament.

Among the biggest complaints from fans were FIFA’s decision to allow Trump to hand the trophy to the victors after the World Cup Final, the treatment of Iranian players during the competition, Africa’s top referee being denied entry into the United States, the Americanization of the tournament through commercials during “hydration breaks,” a Super Bowl-style halftime show during the final, the introduction of championship rings, and, perhaps most notably, Trump’s role in getting the red card suspension against Folarin Balogun overturned.

The Balogun decision in particular triggered such widespread outrage across the international soccer community. The backlash surrounding the tournament led to Trump being loudly booed by fans on multiple occasions during the World Cup Final. The controversy surrounding Trump’s involvement became so significant that UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin ultimately opted to boycott the World Cup Final.

According to a report from The Athletic, Raskin has requested that FIFA President Gianni Infantino provide “a list of anything of value (including transfer of money, gifts, prizes, awards, or public appearances) given to President Trump, members of his Administration, or their family members, or any entity associated with them, such as The Trump Organization.”

The report also states that Raskin is seeking visitor logs from FIFA’s Miami and New York City offices covering the entire duration of the organization’s New York City office lease. In the letter, Raskin wrote that it “serves as notice” requiring the preservation of all communications “between FIFA personnel and individuals affiliated with the Trump Administration or its inaugural committee — including disappearing messages exchanged on ephemeral communication platforms, such as Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp, X, and Truth Social.”

Although Democrats currently lack the House majority, making it unlikely that Raskin can compel Infantino to testify before the committee, that situation could shift after the upcoming midterm elections.

“If the Democrats retake the House in the midterms, Raskin could take the gavel of the House Judiciary Committee, which would also then give him subpoena powers. A Democratic source familiar with the investigation warned that organizations should be aware that today’s oversight questions can rapidly become tomorrow’s formal investigations if and when subpoena powers change hands. This, the source said, should lead FIFA to engage in good faith rather than assure an adversarial posture,” the Athletic reports.

On Monday, the White House broke its silence on the investigation as it downplayed any controversy while praising the success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“Lightweight Jamie Raskin (is) a stupid person’s idea of a smart person,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said to The Athletic in a statement. “No other president in history could have pulled off the historic feat that President Trump delivered for the American people and the world.

“Thanks to his bold vision and decisive leadership, the 2026 FIFA World Cup generated billions of dollars in revenue, created a massive economic boost across host cities, and delivered a safe, secure, and seamless experience for millions of fans and athletes from around the globe. It will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest and most successful sporting events in history.”

We will have to see what becomes of the investigation.