Donald Trump 'in crisis' over latest World Cup chants

Supporters at the World Cup have continued to chant about Jeffrey Epstein in connection with Donald Trump during matches this month. The US president shared a well-documented friendship with Epstein, with the duo captured together in photographs on multiple occasions. Trump attempted to create distance from Epstein, who died in a New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking allegations.

The Mirror revealed that US officials are apprehensive about Trump attending fixtures due to concerns about potential chants from supporters. An insider stated: "There isn't a fan alive who doesn't know how fragile Trump's ego is." The president has contended with widespread booing at major sporting events in America in recent months. World Cup supporters are linking Trump to his friendship with Epstein and his appearance in Epstein-related files.

Trump's staff are in crisis mode attempting to prevent the president from being exposed to the chants in person, including avoiding matches involving English-speaking teams. Broadcasters have been alerted to chants being picked up during matches, though clips have continued to surface from fans in pubs and various venues. Following the United States' group stage match against Turkey, locals at a New York bar broke into chants of "USA USA USA," which fans in England shirts responded to with "Jeffrey Epstein he's one of your own."

Despite the USA advancing to the knockout stages, Trump has yet to attend a single match. While it had been widely anticipated that he would attend the final, doubts are now growing over his appearance amid concerns of a potential backlash. World Cup task force chief Andrew Giuliani told The Athletic that Trump understands the team "has a really special opportunity here."