Trump Admin: Border Wall for People, Open Gates for Profit
The Independent reports the Trump administration quietly carved out exemptions for athletes, coaches, and vital personnel for the World Cup and Olympics from its sweeping visa bans. While the ban was sold as a critical measure against nebulous threats, it appears the actual critical measures are ensuring the lucrative spectacle of international sports can proceed unimpeded. Foreign spectators,
media, and corporate sponsors, however, remain barred—because their money apparently isn't as 'strategic' as the athletes' presence. One might wonder if 'national security' is merely a flexible term, easily bent to accommodate multi-billion dollar sporting events, but rigidly enforced when it comes to, say, families seeking asylum. The message is painfully clear: humanitarian concerns are
secondary to corporate bottom lines, even under an 'America First' banner. It’s almost as if the 'nation' they're putting first has a very specific, profit-driven definition.