A very , very idiotic comment.

The California Democratic Party found itself under criticism Thursday after posting a social media message declaring, “You’re not allowed to watch the World Cup if you’ve ever voted against immigration.”

The post quickly generated reactions online, with critics arguing that it framed support for a global sporting event as dependent on political views rather than shared enthusiasm for the game.

The message appeared intended to highlight immigration’s role in shaping sports, culture, and international events, but opponents argued it instead reinforced political division and excluded people based on their policy positions.

Critics questioned the idea that support for immigration policy should determine participation in or enjoyment of a global event like the FIFA World Cup, pointing out that sports have traditionally been seen as one of the few spaces where political disagreements are temporarily set aside.

Supporters of the post viewed it as commentary on the international character of soccer and the role immigrant communities play in American life and sports culture.

Still, backlash focused less on immigration itself and more on the broader message that political disagreement should limit who gets to participate in cultural moments.

Politics already shows up in enough places these days—people generally don’t expect a viewing guide for sports to come with a voting-history requirement.

The reaction highlights a continuing challenge for political messaging in the social media era: statements designed to energize supporters can just as easily spark debate far beyond their intended audience.

For now, one thing remains true regardless of politics: once the match starts, most people end up watching the scoreboard instead of each other.