Joy Reid, former MSNBC host, stated she is openly rooting for African teams to win the World Cup and against Team USA. She expressed concern that a U.S. victory could be exploited politically by former President Donald Trump. On her podcast, Reid shared a comment from The Nation sports editor David Zirin, who said he hopes the United States loses to Belgium to prevent Trump from leveraging the win.

Reid clarified that her support is not merely against Team USA but in favor of an African nation winning the entire tournament, which she believes would be significant for the Global South. Additionally, Reid mentioned she could not celebrate the Fourth of July over the weekend as a Black person in America.

Reid also announced she is no longer a New York Giants fan due to the introduction of Trump by player Jaxson Dart. The comments were made amid the ongoing World Cup event.

Notable Quotes

  • "I find myself really wishing the United States was actually playing a team from the Global South so I could truly root with even more fervor to see them get knocked down a peg, because we know how it's going to be exploited if they go forward in the Cup," said David Zirin on Reid's podcast.
  • "I'm being very open about it. I'm rooting for the African teams. I want one of them to win. I think it would be so great for the Global South for an African team to take home the big prize," Reid stated.

Background

Joy Reid has been active in public forums, including attending leadership community events in Detroit, Michigan. Her remarks come during a period of heightened political and social discourse in the United States.

Sources