US Soccer’s JT Batson deflects on Trump’s role in Balogun saga: ‘The president is the president’

• USSF chief exec focuses on incredible support' of fans

• Won't say if federation regrets Trump involvement

• US president called Fifa to lobby for red card review

US Soccer Federation chief executive JT Batson made his first public remarks Thursday about the controversy surrounding Donald Trump's involvement in this summer's World Cup, participating in a media roundtable with US Soccer chief operating officer Dan Helfrich and Fifa head of global football development Arsene Wenger.

Before the United States' last-16 encounter with Belgium, Trump revealed that he had made several calls to Fifa president Gianni Infantino, lobbying for a review of US forward Folarin Balogun's red card in the last-32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Fifa eventually suspended Balogun's ban but denied that Trump's repeated calls had influenced that decision.