This week, President Donald Trump advocated on behalf of asylum seekers\u2014though only in one very specific situation.<\/p>\n

Before an Asian Cup match in Australia, Iran’s women’s soccer team declined<\/a> to sing their country’s national anthem, though they “sang the anthem and saluted in later matches,” according to\u00a0Bloomberg<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Supporters of the Iranian regime called for reprisal. “This is the pinnacle of dishonour and lack of patriotism,” said Mohammad Reza Shahbazi, a presenter on Iranian state TV, according to\u00a0The Athletic<\/em><\/a>. “Both the people and the officials should treat these individuals as wartime traitors, not as if they just had a protest or performed a symbolic act. The stigma of dishonour and betrayal must remain on their foreheads, and separately they must be dealt with properly.”<\/p>\n

The\u00a0New York Post<\/em> reported<\/a> that after playing their final match and facing a return trip home, some of the players “appeared to flash a ‘help’ hand signal” to the press.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, their story so far has a happy ending: CNN reported Monday<\/a> that five members of the team “have sought asylum in Australia and and [sic<\/em>] are currently safe with police.”<\/p>\n

Perhaps the unlikeliest supporter of their cause: President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

“Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman’s Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, in a post shared<\/a> by the White House’s official X account, while the situation still seemed tenuous. “Don’t do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The U.S. will take them if you won’t.”<\/p>\n

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“Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman’s Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed. Don’t do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The U.S. will take them if you won’t…” – @POTUS<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/OTIsmVavJR<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n