Christian Pulisic was a real show-stealer in last night’s USMNT vs. Jamaica match. Beyond his goal-scoring penchant, he bagged a brace during his side’s 4-2 win; it came alongside a surprising post-goal celebration dance that was inspired by none other than Donald Trump. Though it created havoc in his own country, with many accusing the forward of pushing a political agenda, Pulisic stepped in to finally extinguish the fire, insisting he did it for a ‘bit of fun.’  

The 26-year-old gave his team the lead with a well-placed finish just 13 minutes into the game, courtesy of an assist from Weston McKennie. Following the goal, the AC Milan forward dashed to the corner, leaped into the air, spread his arms wide, swiveled his hips, and made gestures with his hands at waist level. When asked when he performed this celebration intentionally, Pulisic replied, “Well, obviously that’s the Trump dance,” during a conversation with the Athletic.

“It was just a dance that everyone’s doing. He’s the one who created it. I just thought it was funny,” he continued, further adding who actually fueled him to go with the celebration. “I saw everyone doing it yesterday in the NFL, I saw Jon Jones do it,” noted the 26-year-old, where he must have seen the renowned MMA fighter also pull a shimmy during this Sunday’s UFC Heavyweight main event.

Jones performed the dance in front of Donald Trump, who was at Madison Square Garden after the 37-year-old American knocked out Stipe Miocic in the third round. Pulisic wasn’t the only one drawing inspiration from Jones, as several NFL stars followed suit. On Sunday, five NFL players showcased the Trump boogie dance on the football field, including Las Vegas Raiders’ tight end Brock Bowers, who admitted he was inspired by Jones.

“I saw it and thought it was cool,” Bowers told reporters, according to the New York Times. While Pulisic was the latest to jump on the trend, it eventually made him a subject of criticism, with many slamming the AC Milan star for creating a subtle political agenda. However, Mr. Captain America was quick enough to clarify that misunderstanding!

Christian Pulisic denies setting agenda amid criticism over USMNT vs. Jamaica celebration

In a sense, Christian Pulisic wasn’t alone, as a few of his teammates, including Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, and Ricardo Pepi, had also done the shimmy dance. Then again, neither of the stars had any intention of sending a subtle message. Continuing with his clarification, the former Borussia Dortmund star said, “We’re just having a bit of fun, so I thought it was a pretty fun dance.”

When asked if he had a political agenda to share, the forward said, “No, not at all. It’s not a political dance. It was just for fun. I saw a bunch of people do it and I thought it was funny, so I enjoyed it. I hope some people did, at least,” concluded the star forward, clearing all kinds of misconceptions. Notably, Alexi Lalas was one of the notable names to quickly step in and support the USMNT star’s celebrations.

Later, his beloved girlfriend Alexa Melton also praised his historic milestone goal while cheering on his Trump dance. Hopefully, this truthful confession from Christian Pulisic will clear the negativity surrounding him.