Washington: The White House on Tuesday dismissed as "asinine" the suggestion that President Donald Trump's intervention in a FIFA case involving US striker Folarin Balogun was at odds with his opposition to birthright citizenship, according to a report by The Hill. According to Anadolu Agency, White House Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai told NewsNation that the observation was "kind of an asinine" when asked about the irony of Trump lobbying FIFA President Gianni Infantino to overturn Balogun's suspension. This questioning arose because the player would not be eligible for the US men's soccer team without birthright citizenship. Desai explained that Trump has consistently argued that the application of birthright citizenship is too broad, asserting it was originally intended for the children of freed slaves after the Civil War. Despite the US Supreme Court striking down Trump's interpretation last week, Trump and his allies have pledged to continue their efforts. Balogun, born in New York to a Nigerian m other and raised in Britain, benefits from US eligibility due to birthright citizenship, a policy Trump sought to restrict via an executive order deemed unconstitutional by the nation's highest court. Further, Desai addressed "birth tourism," where individuals visit the US intending to have children on US soil to claim citizenship, stating that it does not align with the original intent of birthright citizenship. Last week, Balogun received a straight red card after fouling Bosnia and Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemovic in the US' 2-0 Round of 32 World Cup win. FIFA announced Sunday that Balogun's suspension would be put on hold for a year, allowing the 25-year-old forward to play in the Round of 16 match against Belgium in Seattle the next day. However, despite Balogun's presence, the US was defeated by Belgium, 4-1. Prior to the match, Trump praised FIFA's decision on his Truth Social platform, stating: 'Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!'