Trump krijgt wéér zijn zin

Trump calls FIFA and immediately gets his way in the Balogun case. But why has the American political system enabled these power games for 250 years? Donald Trump's most recent display of power is not taking place in Washington, but on the football field. Following a strategic phone call between Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the appeal by the Belgian Football Association (KBVB) in the high-profile Balogun case was declared inadmissible in advance. The KBVB reacted with bewilderment when their legitimate request for clarification regarding the lifted suspension of American top scorer Folarin Balogun was immediately stifled by the world football governing body. For historian Maarten van Rossem and co-host Tom Jessen, this sports-political interference is the ultimate hook to show just how deep-seated the American drive for absolute dominance truly is. This incident is not an isolated case; it reflects exactly the way the American Republic has functioned for 250 years. While Trump continues to shine on the domestic stage with bombastic campaign speeches, in this episode Maarten van Rossem, together with Tom Jessen, exposes the fundamental flaws of the American Constitution. The fact that autocratic tendencies and oligarchic games prevail time and again is a direct result of mechanisms established by the Founding Fathers. From the extreme overrepresentation of the conservative countryside in the Senate to capital-destroying 'gerrymandering' via advanced computer software: the democratic quality of the US is wafer-thin. Add to that a politicized, ultraconservative Supreme Court and the archaic Electoral College, and you understand why the numerical loser ends up in the White House more often than not. Maarten dissects the myth of 'God’s Own Country', draws historical parallels with the history of slavery, and explains why the so-called 'liberal world order' has left behind primarily a trail of destruction outside of the Atlantic. A razor-sharp analysis of power, manipulation, and a deeply divided superpower in 2026. #maartenvanrossem #donaldtrump #FIFA #balogun #americanpolitics