Analysis-Weigh in on Sydney Sweeney or run the world? Trump, for better or worse, attempts it all

Analysis-Weigh in on Sydney Sweeney or run the world? Trump, for better or worse, attempts it all

By Jeff Mason (Reuters) -From firing people to promoting jeans, calling for peace deals or the renaming of a sports team, President Donald Trump keeps a lot on his proverbial to-do list. Much of it is unrelated to running the country. More than six months into his second term as U.S. commander-in-chief, Trump, a former New York businessman and reality television host, has applied a hands-on management style and producer-like attitude toward governing, relying largely on his own instincts for decisions large and small. Using the tools of social media and a propensity for bullying, Trump personally wades into issues inside and outside the federal government to get his way. He harangues company executives to invest in America and uses trade deals as leverage over foreign leaders to end conflicts. Last week he fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics over unproven allegations she falsified figures that he didn't like. This week he called for the head of Intel to step down over ties with China, and the company's stock fell. In recent months he has pressed the Washington Commanders football team to change its name back to the Redskins, forced universities to pay huge amounts to the federal government, boosted retailer American Eagle Outfitters' shares with a compliment about a controversial jeans commercial featuring actor Sydney Sweeney and attempted to shore up Republican power by pushing for political redistricting in Texas. Trump's style, which can confound both his friends and his foes, is dramatically different from his more traditional predecessors. It has earned him condemnation for being caustic and praise for being effective at getting what he wants. "While he delves into topics that are certainly distractions relative to the big business of leading the world's greatest nation, it can also be said that past presidents have excessively deferred to the bureaucracy and failed to deliver the change their voters expected," said Carlos Curbelo, a Republican former congressman from Florida. "Trump views himself more as the CEO of the U.S.A. than as president," Curbelo added. "It's good for decision making and challenging for the constitutional order which made our country the world's greatest economic and military force." Trump has taken on academia, the legal world, media companies, athletics, the federal bureaucracy and more, all while retooling the world economy with tariffs, cracking down on immigration flows, upending relations with allies and putting his stamp on American culture. Though he has a team of advisers, the president frequently follows his own counsel, making policy decisions and then announcing them himself, ramifications aside. "I think what a lot of people miss about Trump is he's the marketer-in-chief," said Ford O'Connell, a Republican strategist with ties to the White House. "Not only is he his own best press secretary, he's also his own best chief-of-staff." A POTUS WHO 'CAN'T FOCUS' Critics question why Trump gets bogged down in issues that are secondary to his goals of strengthening the U.S. economy, for example, or achieving a peace deal between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. "He's commenting one moment on ... Putin and tariffs and all that's happening in the world and the next moment he's talking about, oh, Sydney Sweeney, and all these other issues that are completely unrelated to being president of the United States," said Charlie Dent, a Republican former congressman from Pennsylvania. "He simply can't focus." The White House said Trump is using his skills to deliver on policy priorities. "President Trump's leadership style can be summed up plainly as decisive and commanding," said White House spokesman Harrison Fields. Trump also employs a talent to distract when facing difficulty. Though that super power has largely eluded him with the controversy over sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein and the Department of Justice's refusal to release files related to the disgraced financier's case, Trump's broad ability to change the subject and dominate the news cycle has stupefied his opponents for years. "His leadership style is much closer to that of an executive producer, and the executive producer who has a really big picture understanding of the audience," said Republican strategist Kevin Madden, a senior adviser to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. "I think he trusts his instincts about the audience over anybody else, and that's why you see him oftentimes, you know, managing his own policy portfolio." Trump, though not a stickler for detail on all things policy-related, does get into the weeds on things he cares about, both cultural and political, including redecorating the Oval Office with gold, paving over the Rose Garden and building a new ballroom on the White House grounds. On Tuesday, reporters bantered with the president while he walked on the roof of the White House press room, surveying the grounds for what he said were more ways to spend his money. The White House said Trump and other donors plan to pay for the $200 million ballroom project, which is slated to be finished before his second term concludes. "I think narcissists do get bogged down in details because they think that everything is a reflection of them," said Republican strategist Rina Shah. "When he decides to focus on the minutia, he's forgetting about the bigger picture. And that's kind of a disservice to the office." Where critics see such disservice, the White House sees results. On the eve of presiding over a U.S.-brokered peace framework between Azerbaijan and Armenia this week, Trump took to social media to tout his involvement: "Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to 'TRUMP.'" (Reporting by Jeff MasonEditing by Colleen Jenkins and Alistair Bell)

byMario Satorik

in

August 09, 2025

Analysis-Weigh in on Sydney Sweeney or run the world? Trump, for better or worse, attempts it all

Analysis-Weigh in on Sydney Sweeney or run the world? Trump, for better or worse, attempts it all By Jeff Mason (Reuters) -From firing peopl...

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'Pack a toothbrush. Pack hair spray.' How the Texas Democrats are living on the run

'Pack a toothbrush. Pack hair spray.' How the Texas Democrats are living on the run

A child starting kindergarten is a milestone most American families wouldn't dare miss, but it's one John Bucywill be absent fromthis month when one of his daughters takes a first step in her education. The41-year-old Texas state legislator, whose district includes parts of northern Austin, is among the more than 50Democratic lawmakers who've fled the Lone Star Stateto thwart President DonaldTrump's effortto protecthis razor-thin Republican majorityin Congress. He packed his suitcase to be gone for 30 days – maybe longer. "It makes me scared. It makes me sad," Bucy said in an interview about his self-imposed exodus from his family. "I want to be a part of their lives every chance that I can. But what scares me more is if I'm not here, if they grow up and things are worse off in this country because we didn't stop this gerrymandering." More:Why Trump's political war in Texas is much bigger than the Lone Star State Bucy is staying at an undisclosed hotel in Illinois while he andhis fellow Democratscontinue to block their Republican colleagues from conducting official business back in Austin, such as therare mid-decade redrawingof their state's maps that define congressional district boundaries. He said he's still in touch with his legislative staff, who are keeping up with constituents and connecting them to state agencies. Texas is a part-time legislature with a $7,200 annual salary, so like many members, Bucy also has a regular job running a statewide organization that provides athletic, academic and arts competitions for charter school students. Other Texas colleagues who aren't able to work remotely say they are juggling their personal lives, too, amid a partisan firestorm that isspilling over into other Republican and Democratic-controlled statesahead of the November 2026 midterm election campaign. Texas state Rep. Donna Howard said she had to take her grandson along when she left town. Baker, 4, has one parent in recovery and another who isn't in the picture. He's since become a "mascot" for the Democratic legislators at the hotel who have volunteered to help watch him when she speaks with constituents, conducts media interviews or when she needs time alone. "It is a village and my village is stepping up to support me with my grandchild," said Howard, 73, whose district includes parts of southern Austin. "I can't tell you how many people I don't even normally work with on things who have come up and said, 'Can I take him for a little bit and go throw the ball?' So he's kind of like 'King of the Hill' in a lot of ways." More:Trump says FBI 'may have to' force Democratic lawmakers back to Texas USA TODAY spoke with more than a dozen Texas Democrats at the center of the national tug-of-war who arefacing $500-per-day fines, plussharp rebukes from Trumpand his allies. They have made arrangements to secure extended childcare. They have requested longer-than-expected work absences and found new locations for aging loved ones who require 24-hour caretakers. But they also said living in close quarters has an upside: their relationships and team-building have improved with activities such as daily exercise groups. "Pack a toothbrush. Pack hair spray, because hey, this could go on for a while and you got to be ready for it," said Democratic state Rep. Ann Johnson, an attorney who represents parts of Houston. Johnson, 50, participated in the last Texas quorum breakorchestrated by Democrats in 2021, when they fled to Washington, D.C., to resist the GOP tightening the state's election rules. She said she was more prepared this time, but added that this fight is a more stressful and significant situation given the Trump administration's pressure campaign. More:Texas Democrats flee state amid heated redistricting battle. Has this happened before? "They'll continue to try to break us, but I actually feel, unlike 2021, there's a really strong coalition here," Johnson said. "There's a drastic difference... now the threats are so much harsher, they're so much more significant, and the risk of what we lose if we are not successful is really large." Republicans are also doing their part to stymie the Democrats' political efforts, not to mention making their personal lives uncomfortable. Three-term Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott hasthreatened to arrestand expel the missing Democrats from the legislature. The state's Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton,filied an Aug. 8 lawsuitseeking to get 13 of them removed from office. TheFBI is also helpingwith the search for the lawmakers, according to U.S. Sen. Jon Cornyn, a Texas Republicanfacing his own 2026 primary challengefrom Paxton and who made the request for help. "A lot of people are demanding they come back," Trump told reporters on Aug. 5. "You can't just sit it out. You have to go back." In suburban Chicago, anAug. 6 bomb threatat the hotel where some of the Texas Democratic legislators have been staying woke them from sleep with a blaring siren echoing through the halls every 30 seconds. It forced an evacuation of the building and took about two hours before guests were allowed back inside, several lawmakers told USA TODAY. Many of the Democrats said the bomb threat marks a turning point, and made them think of officialsbeing targeted in other states, such as in Minnesota, where an alleged gunman shot two state lawmakers and their spouses at their homes in June, killing one of the couples. "We have people who are threatening our lives, threatening our families' lives by exposing us," said state Rep. Christian Manuel, 38, whose district covers an eastern portion of the state that includes Beaumont, Texas. Manuel, who is Black, helps take care of his 95-year-old grandmother and remains in constant contact with family members. Living an hour outside of Jasper, Texas, where aBlack man named James Byrd was dragged to deathby confirmed white supremacists in 1998, he said the bomb threat at the Illinois hotel reminded him of the potential danger. "My family is aware," Manuel said. "We are all on alert." For many of the absconding Democrats, these incidents have hardened their resolve to resist what progressive critics say are Trump and Abbott's attempts to change the math in their favor for the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. Texas state Rep. Jolanda Jones, who represents parts of Houston, went viral this week after she slammed Abbott's attempt to have the legislators return. She was also embroiled in controversy for comparing the redistricting plan to the Holocaust in an Aug. 5 interview on "The Don Lemon Show," for whichshe later apologized. Yeah, that viral video is me.Union kid. Union member.Single mom. Public school product.Survivor. Fighter.Lost loved ones to gun violence.Fighting to protect voting rights.I'm not afraid of Trump or his cult. I'm running for Congress. Please support!#CD18#QuorumBreakerpic.twitter.com/txBPAvdPBM — Jolanda Jones (@JonesJolanda)August 7, 2025 Jones said she serves as her mother's primary caregiver and that other relatives and neighbors back home have stepped up to help, but that she remains worried about her mother's well-being, given Jones' high visibility. "My mother can't live by herself – that's the bottom line. So me deciding to quorum break was a big deal," Jones, 59, who isrunning for a Houston-based seat in Congress, told USA TODAY. "I don't know what would happen to my mom if she opened the door and, would they barge in, what would they do? I'm absolutely concerned." Experts warn the endgame of the quorum break looks bleak for Democrats even as the national party and liberal activists say they believe the fight could be an inflection point against the Trump administration. "They walked out to stop Republicans from hijacking our democracy," said Christina Harvey, executive director of Stand Up America, a left-leaning voting rights group that has been running ads on social media and TV to mobilize its members against the redistricting efforts. The current Texas special session isscheduled to end Aug. 19, and Democratic legislators say they're committed to staying away from Austin for the long haul. But Abbott can also keep convening legislators, over and over, legal and political experts say, while applying legal and law enforcement pressure until the Republican-controlled legislature gets what it wants. The governor is adding a "headache factor" for lawmakers, Mark Jones, a professor of political science at Rice University, told USA TODAY. Even if none of Abbott's efforts bear fruit, they could lead to the need for the runaway legislators to at least respond to a lawsuit and incur costs, lost time and extra effort, he said. Quorum breaks have been a tool used by the minority party in Texas since 1870. Often, the move is more of a messaging effort with little success in blocking the specific proposal, experts point out. Texas rules say the House must have two-thirds of its members, or 100 people, present to move forward. Of the 62 House Democrats, a few have remained behind in Austin, meaning only a handful need to be arm-twisted into returning to the state for a quorum to be restored and votes to proceed. Jones, the Rice University professor, said the roughly 50 legislators would have to stay out of the state through the end-of-year holidays and into the spring of 2026 for their long-term strategy to prevail. Asked how long they can stay out of Texas, many of the Democratic legislators pivot in their responses to hammer the argument that Abbott is putting the two-term Republican president's desires over a needed aid package for the destructive and deadly flooding thatsubmerged central parts of the state in July. For now, it's unclear how the public is coming down on the Democrats' framing of the fight. A poll conducted by Texas-based Z to A Research, a Democratic-aligned firm, found that 63% of likely voters – including 41% of Republican voters – believe it's unnecessary to be redrawing the congressional district lines several years before it typically happens. An overwhelming majority of 94% said they support funding flood warning systems and relief efforts, according to a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committeememo. Wherever the Texas battle lands, the Democratic legislators who have fled to Illinois – a few others have been part of press conferences and public events inCalifornia,New York,Massachusetts– said they have become a stronger caucus as a result. They described bonding in ways they couldn't during regular sessions, and they believe that sense of unity will spread to Democrats in other states as theTrump administration looks to expandits redistricting strategy. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:How the Texas Democrats are living on the run: 'We are all on alert'

byMario Satorik

in

August 09, 2025

'Pack a toothbrush. Pack hair spray.' How the Texas Democrats are living on the run

'Pack a toothbrush. Pack hair spray.' How the Texas Democrats are living on the run A child starting kindergarten is a milestone mos...

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Patriots unveil statue of Tom Brady, QB who led them to 6 Super Bowl wins, before exhibition opener

Patriots unveil statue of Tom Brady, QB who led them to 6 Super Bowl wins, before exhibition opener

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady's statue weighs six tons and rises 17 feet off the ground, from the bottom of the six-sided base — one for each of the New England Patriots' Super Bowl victories — to the tip of the bronze fist raised in celebration. For a player who was too slow and immobile coming out of college to merit more than a No. 199 draft pick, that seems just about right. "When I was drafted, I just hoped to make the team. I never dreamed I'll be standing here two and a half decades later, made of bronze and frozen in time," Brady said Friday night at a ceremony to unveil the statue before the Patriots' exhibition opener against the Washington Commanders. "But actually, it actually feels pretty appropriate given my 40-yard dash time." A three-time NFL Most Valuable Player, five-time Super Bowl MVP and seven-time NFL champion — he won one after defecting to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers —Brady retired in 2023as the league's most-decorated player ever, holding records in dozens of categories that include most wins, yards passing, and passing touchdowns — for both the regular season and playoffs. The Patriotsinducted him into their Hall of Famelast year,waiving the usual four-year waiting period,and retired his No. 12. At the ceremony, owner Robert Kraft said Brady would be the first player in franchise history to have a bronze statue outside the stadium. The work by sculptor lifelong Patriots fan Jeff Buccacio unveiled Friday on the plaza outside the team's Pro Shop and Hall of Fame features a hexagonal granite base and a 12-foot Brady, honoring Brady's uniform number and making good on Kraft's wish for it to be larger than life. It is 17 feet in all, representing the 17 AFC East titles the Patriots won in Brady's 19 seasons. In his remarks, Brady pretended to be interrupted by a call from former coach Bill Belichick giving his opinion of the statue. "He said there's still room for improvement," Brady said. "I know that feeling." Fans crowded the plaza, lined a nearby stairway and leaned over railings inside the stadium to watch the ceremony, interrupting Brady by chanting his name. Among those at the ceremony were Brady's parents and children, current coach Mike Vrabel and former teammates Devin and Jason McCourty, David Andrews, Wes Welker and Brian Hoyer. Several members of the Commanders entourage also came by, including general manager Adam Peters and ex-Patriot and current Washington defensive end Deatrich Wise. "It was always important for me to be out there," Vrabel said afterthe 48-18 victory over the Commanders. "Having somebody like that be part of this organization is pretty unique and pretty special. Glad I could be part of it a little bit." In addition to the self-deprecating comments and the shot at Belichick, Brady said he didn't think a statue was appropriate until he was "really old," like Vrabel. But he saved his best for the rival New York Jets. "This statue isn't just for Pats fans. It'll also give all the Jets fans something to throw their beers at as they leave the stadium every year," Brady said. "Probably in the second quarter." ___ AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

byMario Satorik

in

August 09, 2025

Patriots unveil statue of Tom Brady, QB who led them to 6 Super Bowl wins, before exhibition opener

Patriots unveil statue of Tom Brady, QB who led them to 6 Super Bowl wins, before exhibition opener FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady's...

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All-Star pitcher Alex Wood retires after 12 MLB seasons and World Series title

All-Star pitcher Alex Wood retires after 12 MLB seasons and World Series title

Left-handed pitcher Alex Wood posted a long message on social media Friday announcing his retirement after 12 major league seasons that included a World Series title with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020. Wood beganhis post on Instagramby saying he had "immense gratitude" following a career in which the 34-year-old was an All-Star selection in 2017 and reached the postseason seven times. "I never could've imagined it would turn out this way," Wood wrote. "Baseball was my first love. Outside of God and my family, nothing else has shaped me the way this game has," he added. "Even writing this, I can't help but smile thinking about how much I still love the game after all this time." Wood's retirement comes after he went 1-3 with a 5.26 ERA in nine starts for the Oakland Athletics last season. Overall, the 6-foot-4 pitcher from Charlotte, North Carolina, went 77-68 with a 3.78 ERA over 278 games split between five teams, including two stints with the Dodgers. He played collegiately at Georgia, was selected in the second round of the 2012 draft by the Braves and made his major league debut with Atlanta a year later. Wood's best season came in 2017 when he went 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 27 games for the Dodgers. After spending 2019 in Cincinnati, he returned to Los Angeles and pitched four scoreless innings during the Dodgers' six-game World Series win over Tampa Bay. He also spent three seasons with the San Francisco Giants. "Playing for five iconic franchises and becoming part of those communities is something my family and I will always cherish," Wood wrote. He then closed his message by writing: "Cheers to what's next. See you at the park! Love, Woody." ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

byMario Satorik

in

August 09, 2025

All-Star pitcher Alex Wood retires after 12 MLB seasons and World Series title

All-Star pitcher Alex Wood retires after 12 MLB seasons and World Series title Left-handed pitcher Alex Wood posted a long message on social...

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Hegseth reposts video on social media featuring pastors saying women shouldn't be allowed to vote

Hegseth reposts video on social media featuring pastors saying women shouldn't be allowed to vote

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man who oversees the nation's military reposted a video about a Christian nationalist church that included various pastors saying women should no longer be allowed to vote. The extraordinary repost on X from Defense SecretaryPete Hegseth, made Thursday night, illustrates his deep and personal connection to a Christian nationalist pastor with extreme views onthe role of religion and women. In the post, Hegseth commented on an almost seven-minute-long report by CNN examining Doug Wilson, cofounder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, or CREC. The report featured a pastor from Wilson's church advocating the repeal of women's right to vote from the Constitution, and another pastor saying that in his ideal world, people would vote as households. It also featured a female congregant saying that she submits to her husband. "All of Christ for All of Life,"Hegseth wrote in his postthat accompanied the video. Hegseth's post received more than 12,000 likes and 2,000 shares on X. Some users agreed with the pastors in the video, while others expressed alarm at the defense secretary promoting Christian nationalist ideas. Doug Pagitt, pastor and executive director of the progressive evangelical organization Vote Common Good, said the ideas in the video are views that "small fringes of Christians keep" and said it was "very disturbing" that Hegseth would amplify them. Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell told The Associated Press on Friday that Hegseth is "a proud member of a church" that is affiliated with CREC and he "very much appreciates many of Mr. Wilson's writings and teachings." In May, Hegseth invited his personal pastor, Brooks Potteiger, to the Pentagon to lead the first of several Christian prayer services that Hegseth has held inside the government building during working hours. Defense Department employees and service members said they received invitations to the event in their government emails. "I'd like to see the nation be a Christian nation, and I'd like to see the world be a Christian world," Wilson said in the CNN report. ___ AP journalists Mike Pesoli in Washington and Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.

byMario Satorik

in

August 09, 2025

Hegseth reposts video on social media featuring pastors saying women shouldn't be allowed to vote

Hegseth reposts video on social media featuring pastors saying women shouldn't be allowed to vote WASHINGTON (AP) — The man who oversees...

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Trump administration threatens to take Harvard's patents

Trump administration threatens to take Harvard's patents

The federal government told Harvard University on Friday it could take control of the school's patents stemming from federally funded research — the latest in a months-long feud between the Trump administration and the Ivy League college. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is launching an "immediate comprehensive review" of whether Harvard has complied with federal laws around patents, he said in a letter to Harvard President Alan Garber. The patents in question could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, a senior administration official said, and in his letter, Lutnick threatened to grant third-party licenses to Harvard's patents or take the titles to any patents where Harvard has failed to comply with governmenttitleand disclosure requirements. Lutnick ordered the Massachusetts-based school to provide information on all patents that it obtained through federally funded research. "We believe that Harvard has failed to live up to its obligations to the American taxpayer and is in breach of the statutory, regulatory, and contractual requirements tied to Harvard's federally funded research programs and intellectual property arising therefrom," Lutnick said. He gave Harvard until Sept. 5 to respond and prove it's complying with the Bayh-Dole Act. Under that legislation, universities receiving federal research grants have to show that inventions issuing from that funding are being used to benefit Americans. The Trump administration wants Harvard to provide a list of all the patents it has that stem from federal grants, how the patents are currently being applied and details about licensing agreements, including whether they mandate "substantial U.S. manufacturing" and the identities of the licensees. A Harvard spokesperson called the move "yet another retaliatory effort targeting Harvard for defending its rights and freedom." "Technologies and patents developed at Harvard are life-saving and industry-redefining. We are fully committed to complying with the Bayh-Dole Act and ensuring that the public is able to access and benefit from the many innovations that arise out of federally funded research at Harvard," the spokesperson said. The Trump administration has paused or cut off billions in federal research funding to Harvard, accusing the university of failing to deal with campus antisemitism. Harvard hassued over the funding freezes, alleging the government is illegally punishing the school for First Amendment-protected activity and trying to "force Harvard to submit to the Government's control over its academic programs." Before the funding cutoff, the administrationdemanded that Harvard agree to changes— including an external audit of certain academic departments, an end to DEI programs and stricter disciplinary policies — if it wants to maintain its "financial relationship" with the federal government. Harvard rejected the demands. President Trump hasalso pushedthe Internal Revenue Service to review Harvard's tax-exempt status. And he directed his administration tobar most foreign studentsfrom traveling to the U.S. to study at Harvard, though a judgeblocked that move. Mr. Trumphas suggestedhe's open to making a deal with Harvard. Some other Ivy League schools that faced funding freezes have cut deals with the administration, with Columbia University and Brown University making various concessions to the federal government. Global stock markets react to Trump's sweeping tariffs in effect now Israel's Security Cabinet approves plan to take over Gaza City Why Trump is calling for Intel CEO's immediate resignation

byMario Satorik

in

August 09, 2025

Trump administration threatens to take Harvard's patents

Trump administration threatens to take Harvard's patents The federal government told Harvard University on Friday it could take control ...

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'Sell the team': Fed-up fans' passionate cry is spreading through sports

'Sell the team': Fed-up fans' passionate cry is spreading through sports

BALTIMORE – It was a cry that emanated, as it often does, from the cheap seats, so high above the playing field thatAthleticsplayers on the field at Nationals Park earlier this week did not hear the chant they're so familiar with yet, for once, was not aimed at their franchise. "Sell! The! Team! Sell! The! Team!" On this August evening, it wasn't desperate and determined fans of theOakland Athleticsimploring owner John Fisher to sell their beloved franchise in the name of competence and to ensure a future in the Bay Area. That future is gone. No, this time, it was the opposition:Washington Nationalsfans, disgusted with their club giving up 54 runs in four games amid a flailing rebuild and uncertain regime change, voiced their displeasure with theLerner family's ownershipand their desire for more robust stewardship. Some fans were even clad in T-shirts with the "Sell The Team" message, the Nationals' iconic curly W flipped upside down to form the "m" in "team." Certainly, ire at the executive branch did not begin with Fisher's gutting of the A's, subsequent pit stop in Sacramento and, he hopes, ultimate destination in Las Vegas. Yet in the years since "SELL" T-shirts became de rigueur in the background of live shots from A's games, fans across baseball and the sporting world seem to have found a louder voice. A USA TODAY Sports analysis shows that 12 MLB teams have engaged in the chant in varying degrees of organization the past three years, perhaps indicating fans have taken a cue from Oakland's highly-publicized unrest to demand more from their ownership groups. The three-word plea can come spontaneously, or after significant planning, or sometimes to simply prove a grander point. In Denver, it was heard when the woebegone Rockies hit a low point this season,a 21-0 lossto the San Diego Padres that dropped their record to 6-33. (No, they didn't sell the team, but they didfire the managera day later.) On Chicago's South Side, "Sell the team" has been a refrainat leastthree yearsrunning, with longtime owner Jerry Reinsdorf presiding over 101- and 121-loss seasons and another 100-loss campaign in the offing. Yet the cries have been most extreme in Pittsburgh. In many markets, the chant occurs late in games, the score lopsided, the crowd count dwindling and those remaining well-served. Yet after more than three decades of almost uninterrupted futility, Pirates fans save their disgust for owner Paul Nutting for the most high-profile moments. Like Opening Day, where the season wasn't even an hour old beforea plane flew a bannerover the stadium bearing the message and chants rang out before yet another loss. Or Paul Skenes bobblehead day, when a sellout crowdrecited the phraseon a day honoring the franchise player. And the team's third sellout of the season? That was on Pittsburgh legend Mac Miller's bobblehead day, when lines to get in stretched back to the Clemente Bridge – and the team's loss that day incited anotherchorus of chants. Heck, the protest even commuted up the road to PPG Paints Arena, when Pittsburgh native Pat McAfee hosted his "Big Night Aht" and McAfee was forced to sidebar with WWE broadcaster Michael Coleto explainexactly what the crowd was chanting. It's virtually endemic at this point, to the point the Seattle Mariners, now poised to claim an American League playoff berth, caught the "Sell" stray earlier this year, when a group of fans landed on the big screen in shirts that read, "Go Mariners!" only toturn in unisonand reveal the message on the other side: Sell the team. For the players there at the beginning of this run, it conjures up memories but also a desire for things to be, well, normal. Two years have passed since the"Summer of Sell,"when A's fans organized a boycott of the team and marked the top of the fifth inning of every game – home and road – to remain silent for one batter before beginning a "Sell the team" chant. It was an emotional two-year ride, during which the A's finalized plans to move to Las Vegas, fans staged an emotional "reverse boycott" and finally, spent 2024 bidding farewell to the Coliseum, and Oakland. "It's crazy because I enjoyed my time in the Coliseum. It's such a unique place and it's sad that they're not playing there anymore," says Ryan Noda, the A's first baseman in 2023 now with the Baltimore Orioles. "Talking to (A's players), they're like, 'I'd never thought I'd miss the Coliseum so much, but I do.' The last two games there were pretty awesome. "But in '23, it was pretty crazy. There'd be games when there was nobody in the stands, save for the true diehards. I feel for the fan base. Because it's such a storied franchise. And it's sad to see that happen but at the same time, it's a business, on both sides, when it comes to location and players." It's business, but always personal with fans. Though the A's may be laying over for three seasons at a Class AAA park in Sacramento, fans nonetheless fill the Yolo County night with chants of "Let's Go Oakland," and "Sell the team." Brent Rooker, the A's two-time All-Star outfielder, committed to the long haul when he signed a $65 million extension through at least 2029, which should ostensibly cover their first two years in Las Vegas. The "sell" movement was at full tilt in his first All-Star season, when the 2023 All-Star Game featured both the now traditional fifth inning chant as well as a "sell" serenade when Rooker came to bat. Rooker has appreciated the fans' fervor. Yet 400 games into his Athletics career, increasingly surrounded byhigh-achievingteammates, he'd appreciate perhaps a bit more fan focus between the white lines. "There's both sides to it, I guess. You respect people's right to voice their opinion," says Rooker, on pace for his third consecutive 30-homer season. "At the same time, you kind of wish that energy was directed more toward supporting what's happening on the field, because we're giving a lot of effort and work really hard and a lot goes into going out and competing every night. "So, you see both sides of it. you respect people's rights to voice their opinions. But there are times we wished that energy was directed more at supporting what we're doing on the field." Yet inept or at least inadequate ownership is the hardest thing in sports to shake; barring high corporate crimes or misdemeanors, the owner is the one piece of a franchise that can't be eradicated. And that's why "sell" has swept through several sports. In the NFL, it hit at Soldier Field last December, during the Chicago Bears'particularly desultory6-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Woody Johnson'sNew York Jetsheard itin an October game at MetLife Stadium. It was a staple atWashington Commanders gamesuntil owner Daniel Snyder finally did, in fact, sell the team, though not until his wife's image on the scoreboard was greeted with boos and pleas to sell. And as his latest training campsuperstar staredownunfolded, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones took a verbal ribbing and fans toted signsurging him to sellon Aug. 2. Only drastic times seem to inspire the chant in the NBA, such as when theDetroit Pistonslost their25thconsecutive gamein December 2023, or New York Knicks fansgrew exhaustedof owner James Dolan's decades of mismanagement in March 2020. Even Major League Soccer got a piece of the action, with Philadelphia Union fans organizing a Coliseum-like period of silence before launchingits sell chant. Yet fan messages that counter team talking points or state-sponsored pablum are often met with suppression. Commanders fans were directed to remove bags from their face with the sell suggestion on them. A Knicks fan who chanted "sell the team"says he was "interrogated"by security before exiting Madison Square Garden. During one of the Pirates' "sell" chants this season, the team broadcastcut the crowd noiseuntil the chanting ceased. And the A's "reverse boycott" gamehas been scrubbedfrom MLB.TV's June 2023 archives. That leaves just the public square – arena, stadium, pitch – for the fan to know they'll be heard – if not by management, then certainly the participants. "I guess it goes back to freedom of speech and why the United States is so awesome," says Noda. "I don't know how much front offices and owners pay attention. "But players, we hear it. And going through it for a whole year was weird. But we knew they weren't saying it to us. We knew they still backed us and treated us like we were players. And they knew how hard we worked and how hard we wanted to get a win. At the end of the day, we kind of just blocked it out on our end and waited for them to cheer." The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Sell The Team cry, rooted in Oakland, spreads among angry fans

byMario Satorik

in

August 09, 2025

'Sell the team': Fed-up fans' passionate cry is spreading through sports

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