The 2026 World Cup is being played on American soil, the U.S. Men's National Team just smoked Paraguay 4-1 in the opener, and a pair of New York Democrats still can't bring themselves to cheer for the home team. When asked on a local news channel, "World Cup — who are you rooting for to win it all?" Rep. Adriano Espaillat answered "Mexico" and congressional candidate Darializa Chevalier went with "Senegal."
What was supposed to be a softball question to both politicians to get them to show they care about America turned into a viral moment--and not in a good way for the two Democrats who couldn't even muster up the slightest bit of patriotism.
Let's talk about Rep. Espaillat for a second. This is a sitting United States congressman — a Democrat representing New York — who is also notably the first former illegal alien to become a federally elected official in this country. Dominican-American, sure, and nobody's saying you can't have a soft spot for the old country. But when a reporter lobs you the softest softball in the history of sports journalism during a tournament America is hosting, and your answer is "Mexico"? Not even the Dominican Republic — Mexico? Come on, man.
Then there's Darializa Chevalier, a Democratic congressional candidate who was raised by Dominican immigrants and previously lived in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Her answer? "Senegal." Not America. Not even a country she has personal ties to. Senegal.
Meanwhile, the actual United States national team — you know, the one representing the country these two want to govern — had just beaten Paraguay 4-1 on June 13. The boys were rolling. The whole country was riding high. Spain couldn't even beat Cabo Verde. And these two elected officials (well, one elected, one trying to get elected) decided that was the perfect moment to publicly announce they're rooting for literally anyone but America.
This is the modern Democratic Party distilled into a single 15-second clip. They want your vote. They want your tax dollars. They want the power that comes with representing the United States of America. They just don't particularly care for the "United States of America" part.
It's a layup metaphor for everything wrong with the left right now. They cannot help themselves. Hand them a flag, a hot dog, and a chance to say "USA" on camera, and they'll fumble it every single time. It's not even strategic at this point. It's pathological.
Root for whoever you want in your living room. That's your business. But if you're an American elected official — or running to become one — and you can't muster a "Go USA" during a World Cup on American turf after a 4-1 opening win, maybe public service isn't your calling.
