Banned World Cup Referee Called Trump ‘Racist', Condemned US

Resurfaced social media posts believed to be from Omar Abdulkadir Artan, the Somali referee denied entry into the United States and barred from officiating at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, show him repeatedly calling President Donald Trump a racist, condemning his inauguration as radical, and accusing U.S. officials of meddling in African affairs.

The posts, made from an X account under the handle @Ref_Artan, was created in 2013 and linked to another Facebook account believed to belong to Artan that shared content from his refereeing career. The posts date back to January 2017, when the account replied directly to Trump multiple times on Inauguration Day, calling his speech “radical” and describing Trump as “the biggest threat to American democracy and world peace.”

Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre also hosted Artan, writing in a post on X that the referee had "already won the hearts of millions and secured his place in history."

"He devoted himself to ensuring that football was decided by merit, yet fate denied him the stage he so richly deserved," Barre said.

The Travel Ban and Social Media Vetting

Somalia is one of 39 nations affected by the Trump administration’s travel ban, which places nationals of listed countries under additional scrutiny. Artan’s arrival in the U.S. suggests he had a valid visa prior to travel.

His case also comes as the U.S. government has dramatically expanded its social media vetting of visa applicants. Since 2019, the U.S. has required visa applicants to list all social media usernames or handles from the last five years on visa application forms.

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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 1:18 PM.