Major League Soccer thought they could quietly remove a Trump supporter from their game.
One simple question from the fan completely backfired on them.
And now this MLS incident has sparked a nationwide conversation about selective enforcement of political speech rules.
MLS security removes fan for wearing MAGA hat
Michael Weitzel made what should have been a routine decision when he attended a St. Louis City SC match recently.
He wore a "Make America Great Again" hat to support the current President of the United States.
But MLS security had other plans and told Weitzel he had to leave the stadium because his hat violated the league’s code of conduct.
That’s when Weitzel did something brilliant – he started recording the encounter and asked one simple question that exposed the entire charade.
In the nearly two-minute video that has since gone viral, a security guard tells Weitzel that "they don’t want any kind of political" statements at the game.
But Weitzel wasn’t going to let them get away with that obvious lie.
He pointed directly to the pride flags being waved behind one of the goals and sarcastically asked if those weren’t political.
The security guard’s response revealed everything you need to know about MLS’s selective enforcement.
Those flags were "pre-approved," the guard explained.
Fan’s question exposes MLS’s obvious double standard
Weitzel’s simple question cut right through MLS’s carefully constructed narrative about being "non-political."
The league’s official Fan Code of Conduct prohibits "displaying signs, symbols or images for electioneering, campaigning or advocating for or against any candidate, political party, legislative issue, or government action."
That sounds fair enough until you realize the same rule should apply to pride and trans flags, which clearly advocate for specific legislative issues and political positions.
But somehow those flags get "pre-approved" while a hat supporting the sitting President gets you ejected.
The security guard even admitted he personally supports Donald Trump but claimed the hat wasn’t allowed due to league policy.
So MLS employees can support Trump privately, but fans can’t show that support publicly – while leftist political symbols get special approval.
The hypocrisy couldn’t be more obvious.
Fan’s viral video exposes MLS’s obvious double standard
What MLS thought would be a quiet removal of one troublesome fan has turned into a viral embarrassment that’s generating serious backlash.
Weitzel’s video has garnered more than 2 million views on social media, with critics from across the political spectrum calling out the obvious hypocrisy.¹
The league now faces serious questions about whether they’re engaging in viewpoint discrimination by selectively enforcing their political symbols policy.
Conservative legal experts have noted that creating different rules for different political viewpoints could expose MLS to potential civil rights lawsuits.
The "pre-approved" system for political symbols has raised eyebrows among legal observers who question how a private venue can claim to be "non-political" while clearly favoring certain political messages over others.
What this really reveals about America today
Weitzel’s ejection wasn’t an isolated incident – it’s become the new normal across entertainment venues nationwide.
Walk into most sports stadiums, concert halls, or public events these days and you’ll see the same pattern playing out.
Conservative political symbols get security called on them while progressive messaging gets the red carpet treatment.
The MLS situation perfectly captures the problem.
Staff members who personally agree with Trump still enforce rules that silence his supporters while giving progressive activists free rein.
Pride flags that push specific legislation? Those get blessed by management.
A hat supporting the current President? That’s somehow "dangerous" and requires immediate removal.
The double standard isn’t accidental – it’s policy.
Weitzel’s smart move to film the encounter has given Americans a clear look at how this selective enforcement actually works in practice.
His video went viral precisely because millions of people recognize this same treatment from their own experiences.
MLS executives probably thought this would blow over in a day or two.
Instead, they’re discovering that Americans are getting tired of venues that claim to be neutral while systematically targeting one political viewpoint.
The backlash has been swift and brutal, with the story spreading far beyond sports media into mainstream political coverage.
¹ Becky Noble, "Season Ticket Holder Gets Kicked Out of MLS Game for Wearing MAGA Hat, but Notice What Stadium Allows," RedState, August 2, 2025.
