By Gráinne Glynn
In the world of sports, where skill and strength often determine the outcome, external factors like political endorsements are rarely considered major influences on the outcomes.
However, the recent losses of both the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Super Bowl and Team USA in the 4 Nations tournament have sparked a curious question; did Trump’s public endorsements of each team somehow contribute to their defeats?
The Kansas City Chiefs entered the Super Bowl 2025 as one of the most powerful teams in the NFL. The Chiefs were aiming to cement their status as triple-time winners, however, their journey to the championship took an unexpected plummet when Trump publicly endorsed the team ahead of the game. Trump took to social media to praise the Chiefs, calling them “a true American team” and highlighting their talent. While the endorsement was supposed to be a moral booster, critics and fans began to dissect the political implications of Trump’s support, bringing away attention from the game itself.
On the field, the Chiefs struggled to find their game. Whether it was the pressure or their egos, the team fell short against their opponents. With many of the Chiefs team publically MAGA supporters and influences, the loss left fans wondering if the acknowledgment from their hero played a role in their lackluster performance.
Team USA faced a similar fate in the 4 Nations tournament, where Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the USA faced each other in knock-out rounds. The American team was considered a major player in the tournament, which showed in their past matches. However, their victory run took an unexpected turn when Trump, on TruthSocial, praised the team as “a symbol of American greatness”. The endorsement quickly became a focal point in the conversations surrounding the final face-off.
It was a tough loss by 1 point in Overtime when the majority of the match had been a tense tie. The Canadians had a field day. Social media was flooded with jokes about Trump being the “11th province of Canada” and how his endorsement had single-handedly handed the victory to Team Canada. Even Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau couldn’t resist a subtle jab. “It’s always a pleasure to see friendly competition between our nations”, he said with a smirk during a press conference.
While it would be unfair to attribute the losses solely to Trump’s endorsements, the timing and nature of his comments cannot be ignored. In both cases, the teams found themselves dealing with not just the competition, but the political expectations, (whether they are supporters of his or not). Perhaps there’s a lesson here for the American president, who has long insisted that politics and sports should remain separate. I guess all we can hope is that he has learned the message he’s been preaching all along; maybe it is best to keep political endorsements out of sports. Sports fans everywhere are crossing their fingers that Trump doesn’t suddenly develop an interest in their favorite teams. Because if there is one thing we have learned from the Super Bowl and the 4 Nations tournament, it’s that a Trump endorsement is the kiss of death.