Christian Pulisic received plenty of backlash for his Donald Trump dance celebration vs. Jamaica on Monday and has now been publicly called out by a USMNT great. The Tim Howard Pulisic takedown was posted to the Mail Sport on Thursday.
Howard, who writes opinion pieces for British tabloid the Daily Mail, doesn’t hesitate when it comes to calling out United States national players. The 45-year-old called out USWNT midfielder Korbin Albert earlier this year for her social media activity.
His latest opinion piece on a U.S. player saw him taking direct shots at Pulisic for “playing innocent” about his Trump dance celebration vs. Jamaica.
McKennie's pass Pulisic's finish
What a goalWatch USA vs. Jamaica on TNT, truTV or Max pic.twitter.com/HVrlx9XLzH
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 19, 2024
Christian Pulisic when asked about his 'Trump Dance' celebration after scoring against Jamaica ️
"I saw everyone doing it yesterday in the NFL, I saw Jon Jones do it, and we were just having a bit of fun. I thought it was a pretty fun dance.Obviously, that's the 'Trump Dance'… pic.twitter.com/d3OSeRIww7
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) November 19, 2024
Tim Howard Pulisic comments
Pulisic said after the game that the dance wasn't political and was just for fun.
Howard wasn’t amused at the dance or Pulisic’s reasoning for doing it.
"Doing a dance that mimics Donald Trump is stupid. Why? Because, whether it's the president of the United States or my neighbor down the street, I would never back someone who I believe is racist. I wouldn't glorify that. I wouldn't do it for anything,” Howard wrote.
The former goalkeeper went on to say that he’d rather Pulisic just own up to supporting Trump than do the dance and say it was only for fun.
“If someone feels strongly the other way, no problem. But if you're going to make a political statement then be bold and brash enough to stand behind it. Don’t go quiet and don’t plead innocence like Christian Pulisic,” Howard said.
Howard didn’t put all the blame on the 26-year-old AC Milan star and said that U.S. Soccer should’ve done a better job educating the players on not doing anything political so close to the election.
“U.S. Soccer must bear some of the responsibility for this. Yes, Pulisic is no kid. He is 26 and he has been this country’s prized asset for years.
"But, given the political and social landscape over the last four years, organizations need to educate players. To remind them that their words and actions matter. To teach them that everything they do and everything they say has to be thought through."
Howard also called out NFL players and UFC fighter Jon Jones for doing the Trump dance and not owning up to it. It seemed Howard had a bigger bone to pick with players doing the dance and saying it was just for fun rather than people outright saying they support Trump.
“I will ask them: do you care about the political climate that your child is growing up in?
“They say they care but they're willing to overlook stuff to make a better life for themselves. That’s fine. Support whoever you want, for whatever reason you like. But my message to Pulisic, Bosa, Jones and Co? Own it,” Howard said.
