Editorial Cartoon
Y.M.C.A.: Yelling My Cult Anthem
The World Cup draw gets its very own culture-war line dance, featuring one extremely indicted hype man.

Panel: The 2026 World Cup draw stage at the Kennedy Center is set up like a glitzy awards show. Center stage, the Village People are mid-chorus on âY.M.C.A.â â but the giant LED letters behind them spell out âM.A.G.A.â instead. In front of them, Donald Trump is doing his stiff YMCA dance, but every arm position is wrong: when the crowd forms a Y, he makes a crooked T; for M, his arms trace a dollar sign; for C, he makes a wall-like rectangle; for A, he points both thumbs at himself. Soccer fans from around the world in jerseys â Argentina, Japan, South Africa, Mexico, etc. â watch from the audience. Above their heads are tiny dialogue balloons with symbols instead of words: a refereeâs red card, a trainwreck emoji, a dollar sign, a clown nose, a gavel. A FIFA official at a podium labeled â2026 WORLD CUP DRAWâ whispers to another exec wearing a badge that reads âFIFA BRAND PARTNERSHIPS.â The whisper balloon: âWe promised âsportswashing,â not âbrainwashing.ââ The exec responds in a small balloon: âRelax. The sponsors only measure âengagement.ââ On one side of the stage, a huge scoreboard-style screen lists fake matchups like âTRUTH vs. SPIN,â âFACTS vs. VIBES,â and âETHICS vs. EXTRA TIME,â all with the score frozen at 0â0 while a sponsor banner underneath blares: âBrought to you by INFINITE REPLAYS OF THE CULTURE WAR.â Down near the orchestra pit, a bewildered stagehand in a headset holds a cue card that clearly says âY.M.C.A.â but itâs been crudely taped over with âY. M. A. G. A.â in Sharpie. In the front row, a lone American guy in a USA jersey, red hat, and foam finger that says â#1 BASEâ (the BALL is crossed out) waves a sign: âKEEP POLITICS OUT OF SOCCERâ on one side â while the back of the sign, visible to the reader, reads: âPLAY HIS SONG OR WE BOO.â No other text in the image.
Source headline
Donald Trump YMCA dance, explained: Why Village People will play president's favorite song at World Cup draw
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