The ten best football (soccer) players of all time

CC™ Sports Perspective

There is no question that 'the beautiful game' has been blessed with some of the most glorious talent ever assembled in any sports, over the generations. Here are the ten best football (soccer) players of all time according to a consortium of ardent analysts and personalities in the game. 

The list allows many fans of the beautiful game to offer their own opinion and suggestions on the veracity of the rankings.

1) Edson Arantes do Nascimento - Pelé (Brazil) - RIP 

Peak: 1958-70   

Major Achievements: Most career goals (of any footballer ever, like ever), FIFA Player of the Century, France Football's greatest FIFA World Cup player, TIME 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century list, Brazil's all-time leading goal scorer, Santos' all-time leading goal scorer, youngest FIFA World Cup winner, most assists in FIFA World Cup history, 1958, 1962 & 1970 FIFA World Cup, top goal scorer in FIFA World Cup finals, two Copa Libertadores titles, six Campeonato Brasilerio Serie A titles, two Intercontinental Cups, 1970 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, 1958 FIFA World Cup Best Young Player, 1970 Bola de Prata. There isn't really much that needs to be said here. Pele was simply the best and the only player that could have possibly eclipsed him from the premier position would have been Maradona, if the latter had won a second FIFA World Cup.



2) Diego Armando Maradona (Argentina) - RIP

Peak: 1985-90

Major Achievements: 90min's Greatest Footballer of All Time, Corriere dello Sport's Best Athlete in History, 1986 FIFA World Cup, 1986 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, 1985 Serie A Footballer of the Year, FIFA World Cup All-Time Team, FIFA Goal of the Century, Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century, two-time South American Footballer of the Year, four-time Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year, two Scudetti, one Coppa Italia, one Copa del Rey, one UEFA Cup. The late Maradona was a football genius and took over a game like no other player did, probably not since the number one player on the list, Pelé.

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3) Zinedine Zidane - Zizzou (France and of Algerian descent)

Peak: 1997-2006

Major Achievements: 1998 Ballon d'Or, 1998, 2000 & 2003 FIFA World Player of the Year, 2002 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, 2000/01 Serie A Footballer of the Year, UEFA Champions League Best Player of the Past 20 Years, L'Equipe Best French Player of All Time, 2006 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, only player to be named Player of the Year in three of the top five leagues, most goals in FIFA World Cup finals, 1998 FIFA World Cup, 2000 UEFA European Championships, one Champions League, two Scudetti, one La Liga title, one Intercontinental Cup. Zizzou should have won two FIFA World Cups and the evidence of his genius was in taking an average and aging French side to the FIFA World Cup final in 2006, while eliminating a star-studded Brazil side in the process. Zizzou never lost to Brazil when it mattered and he was 2-0 against two of arguably the best Brazillian teams of all time, the 1998 and 2006 teams with stars like Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo ("O Fenômeno"), Roberot Carlos and Cafu, just to name a few.

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4) Johan Cryuff (Netherlands aka Holland)

Peak: 1971-75

Major Achievements: 1971, 1973 & 1975 Ballon d'Or, 1974 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, FIFA World Cup All-Time Team, three-time Dutch Footballer of the Year, two-time Dutch Sportsman of the Year, three European Cups, one La Liga title, nine Eredivisie titles, one Copa del Rey, six KNVB Cup, one Intercontinental Cup. Johan Cryuff was 'Total Football' and he was the architect of modern football, as we know it.

5) Franz Beckenbauer (Germany aka West Germany)

Peak: 1966-76

Major Achievements: 1972 & 1976 Ballon d'Or, FIFA World Cup All-Time Team, 1966 FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award, four-time German Footballer of the Year, 1974 FIFA World Cup, 1972 UEFA European Championships, three European Cups, five Bundesliga titles, four DFB-Pokals, one Intercontinental Cup. The Der Kaiser, as he is fondly called, won the FIFA World Cup as a player and also as a manager. He is also one of only two defenders to ever win the Ballon d'Or and he infact won it.

6) Ronaldo aka "O Fenômeno" (Brazil)

Peak: 1995-2002

Major Achievements: 1997 & 2002 Ballon d'Or, 1996, 1997 & 2002 FIFA World Player of the Year, 1998 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, 2002 FIFA World Cup Golden Shoe, 1996/97 European Golden Shoe, 1994 & 2002 FIFA World Cup, 1997 & 1999 Copa America, two-time Pichichi winner, 1998 Serie A Footballer of the Year, two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, one KNVB Cup, one UEFA Cup, one Intercontinental Cup. Ronaldo easily could have become the greatest football player of all time, but his knees and overall lack of personal discipline, did him in. He was simply a joy to watch!

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7) Ronaldinho (Brazil)

Peak: 2002-06

Major Achievements: 2005 Ballon d'Or, 2004 & 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year, 2005/06 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, 2004 & 2005 FIFPro World Player of the Year, one UEFA Champions League, two La Liga titles, one Scudetto. 2002 FIFA World Cup winner. Ronaldinho was one of the most gifted geniuses with the ball at his feet. He was exquisite to watch and played with so much joy that his passion seemed like par-for-the-course, even in the most energy-sapping of games. Just ask England in 2002 and they will tell you that no one 'smiled while killing you' with so much ease as Ronaldinho. 

SportMob

8) Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina)

Peak: 1956-62

Major Achievements: 1957 & 1959 Ballon d'Or, five European Cups, one Intercontinental Cup, eight La Liga titles, five-time Pichichi winner, World Team of the 20th Century, one Copa del Rey.

Alfredo Di Stéfano is considered by some to be the best player of all time, and many consider that he should be ranked above fellow Argentines Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. Indelibly associated with the Real Madrid side that won 5 European Cups between 1956 and 1960, remarkably Di Stéfano did not even come to Europe until he was in his late 20s. It was during his time in Spain with Real that created his legend. In 11 seasons, in addition to the European Cup triumphs, he helped them win 8 league titles and the Copa del Rey, scoring 308 goals in 396 appearances for Los Blancos. His partnership with Ferenc Puskás became legendary, exemplified by the 1960 European Cup Final, where Di Stéfano scored a hat-trick, and the Hungarian four in the 7 – 3 defeat of Eintracht Frankfurt, still spoken of, nearly 60 years later, as one of the finest games of club football ever played. 

Football Soccer Cards

9) Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

Peak: 2010-18

Major Achievements: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 & 2017 Ballon d'Or, 2008, 2016 & 2017 FIFA World Player of the Year, 2014, 2016 & 2017 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, four-time European Golden Shoe winner, two-time PFA Players' Player of the Year, UEFA Champions League all time top goal scorer, Real Madrid's all time top goal scorer, five UEFA Champions Leagues, two La Liga titles, three Premier League titles, one Scudetto, two Copa del Rey, one FA Cup, one UEFA European Championship and inaugural UEFA Nations League Championship.

10) Lionel Messi (Argentina)

Peak: 2009-18; 2021-2022

Major Achievements: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 & 2021 Ballon d'Or, 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year. 2021 Copa America and 2022 FIFA World Cup winner. Barcelona all time top goal scorer, La Liga all time top goal scorer, six-time Pichichi winner, Argentina's all time top goal scorer, most goals scored in a calendar year, 2011 & 2015 UEFA Men's Player of the Year, seven-time La Liga Player of the Year, 2014 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, 2005 Young European Footballer of the Year, five-time European Golden Shoe winner, four Champions Leagues, nine La Liga titles, six Copa del Rey. 

Developing Positive Self-Images In Black Children

CC™ VideoSpective

Racism: Why 'the children of a ‘lesser God’ must redefine the next human century and beyond.....

CC™ - Editor-in-Chief

I have always stated to many, including Black intellectuals that racism is not an event, statement, person/personality or even an action. Racism, at its very core and foundation, is an institution and that is why I laugh consistently at the notion by white liberals and some Blacks that racism must be defeated.

Defeated? Those who are actually 'in the know' understand the implication of that statement and as such they will NEVER allow that to happen; as it would mean the loss of their privilege and influence. I mean why would anyone in their 'right senses' want to give up the power and position they have benefited from for generations.

That opening flurry then brings us to the state of things not only in America (particularly under Donald Trump, the 45th POTUS) but also in the world as we, 'the children of a lesser God' seek to navigate our way through s system and indeed a world that continually views us as a threat. Yes, I said 'as a threat' as the founders of the racist establishment that currently runs the world understand very well how formidable and capable Africans (Blacks) are.

Whether it is in the corporate world, national and international politics, sports and entertainment, the system engendered by racism has ensured that Blacks in particular remain removed from positions of influence (where far-reaching decisions are made) that determine the ultimate outcome of events in the critical arenas of human life.

THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC SYSTEM

A closer look at the global economic system would serve to buttress my point regarding the institutional nature of racism. It defies logic that a continent (Africa) that produces majority of the worlds key natural resources remains the poorest and the most indebted. A situation where the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (all created to perpetuate neocolonialism and western imperialism) determine if, when and how the governments of African countries function basically ensures that the rusty shackles of slavery are replaced by new and shiny ones. It is not a coincidence that the fate of African countries in the hands of these Western institutions is similar to that of Blacks in America, Europe or South America when dealing with financial institutions. Blacks generally, even when they have great credit on the average pay higher interest rates than whites and end up being buried (much like African governments) under the weight of indebtedness.

THE UNITED NATIONS

When one looks at the United Nations and most international non-governmental organizations, the tale is the same. There is an undue influence exerted by the United States and Europe (Western Europe to be exact) in the daily affairs of those organizations. Of the five permanent members of the United Stations Security Council (UNSC), only one (China) is non-European. The other four permanent members are Russia, United States of America, Great Britain and France. When you look at that list, three of those five permanent members, the United States, Great Britain and France were three of the key perpetrators of the worst carnage in human history, the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade that robbed a whole continent of its future and destroyed the promise, hope and aspiration of a whole race.

GLOBAL SPORTS AND ORGANIZATION - FIFA, NFL AND THE NBA

When you look at organizations such as the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), the National Football League (American Football) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), the mark that has been laid down by the institution of racism and white privilege can not be over-emphasized. FIFA for the longest time only allowed a whole continent (Africa) with over 50+ countries to produce just one representative to the global showpiece from its inception in 1930 until the 1982 edition (52 years later). At that 1982 edition, FIFA allotted just two slots to Africa in a field of 24 nations (Europe was allotted 14 spots out of the total 24).

The odds continue to be stacked against African representatives at the FIFA global showpiece with a view to ensuring that an African country never wins the most prestigious global event in the world. FIFA and the European Football Confederation (UEFA) want to ensure that there isn't a repeat of the 1996 Men's Olympic football tournament that saw Nigeria defeat global soccer giants (with star studded players) such as Brazil and Argentina on their way to winning the first Gold medal in soccer (football) ever by an African country or a country outside of Europe and South America. FIFA and the IOC went on to ensure the watering down of the Olympic Men's soccer tournament shortly after that Nigerian victory.

THE REALITY

The fact remains that the African (Black) resurgence can't be stopped. That resurgence is not intended to ensure the destruction, eclipsing or eradication of anyone (unless they decide to get in the way of its actualization), but instead, the restoration of the basic construct of our humanity. The latter has been lost over the past generations, as avaricious greed, obtuse immorality, unbecoming debauchery and senseless over-indulgence have become the order of the day. What separates humanity from animals is basic and common-sense restraint, as necessitated by our core human make-up. There are consequences to our actions, both intended and unintended. Guns, climate change and politics are not the problem.

The problem lies with the human beings that pull the trigger, engage in actions that harm the environment or profess political views that seek to promote hate, division and a general sense of social anxiety. The first 'Black" POTUS (Barack Obama) and the first African President of South Africa (Nelson Mandela) both brought a humanity to their respective positions during their tenures, that had been lacking from their predecessors. While both were invariably still bound by the ubiquitous realities of the positions they held, they nevertheless sought to bring a more humane reality to it and that was evident by the resistance both had to face while in office.

In conclusion, while the future may seem bleak, one thing remains a constant; the potential and the opportunity to rewrite the human destiny lies in the African resurgence. The West will not lead, as evidenced by European and American regression into the throes of bigotry and intolerance (with the ascent of the likes of Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and Italy's Matteo Salvini). Africa must and will lead as history has shown that continent and its people as the ever-enduring moral compass for the world.

© 2CG MEDIA. Coker Confidential™

Classic Flashback: 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Special Roadster

CC™ Classic Cars

The dark side of Hollywood they try to hide

CC™ VideoSpective

Purveyors of Hate: The US State of Mississippi only just ratified the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery in 2013

Jaclynn Ashly/Al Jazeera

CC™ PersPective

By Ben Waldron 

Two medical school colleagues, one an immigrant from India, the other a life-long Mississippian, joined forces to resolve a historical oversight that until this month had never officially been corrected.

The oversight was no small one either. Until February 7, 2013, the state of Mississippi had never submitted the required documentation to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, meaning it never officially had abolished slavery.

The amendment was adopted in December 1865 after the necessary three-fourths of the then 36 states voted in favor of ratification. Mississippi, however, was a holdout; at the time state lawmakers were upset that they had not been compensated for the value of freed slaves.

Dr. Ranjan Batra, professor of Neurobiology and Anatomical sciences at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, told ABC News he was inspired to investigate the history of the Thirteenth Amendment in his state after a viewing of the film "Lincoln."

"At the end of the story there was an open question about how the ratification process proceeded," he said. "Living in the South as I do, I found that a pretty big open question."

So Batra proceeded to do some investigating of his own, noticing on the website usconstitution.net, that there was an asterisk next to the state of Mississippi in connection with the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment.

"Mississippi ratified the amendment in 1995, but because the state never officially notified the US Archivist, the ratification is not official," reads the statement on the website. Batra felt compelled to act to rectify the clerical oversight.

"Mississippi gets a lot of bad press about this type of stuff and I just felt that it is something that should be fixed, and I saw every reason that could be done," he said. "Everyone here would like to put this part of Mississippi's past behind us and move on into the 21 st century rather than the 19th."

So Batra enlisted the help of University of Mississippi Medical Center colleague Ken Sullivan, who took an immediate interest in the story, calling the national archives to confirm that they had in fact never received the proper paperwork. Sullivan then took a trip to the state archives to acquire a copy of the bill.

"The last paragraph [of the bill] directs the Secretary of State of Mississippi to inform the national archives of the law of the ratification which is exactly the way ratification is supposed to proceed, but that hadn't been done for whatever reason," said Batra.

Sullivan took his family to see "Lincoln," and told ABC News the film inspired him further to correct this historical oversight. "I had that information when I went to see 'Lincoln' that weekend, I knew really what I was fixing to be a part of and it was overwhelming," he said. "It was humbling to know that such a big part of the nation's history and a huge part of my state's history was involved in this, people stood up and applauded at the end of the movie, the first time I have ever seen that for any movie," said Sullivan.

Sullivan then contacted the office of the Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, who quickly agreed to file the required documentation to the National Archives and make the ratification official. On February 7, Director of the Federal Register Charles A. Barth wrote that he had received the notification, "With this action, the State of Mississippi has ratified the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States," he wrote.

"For me it was just important that this part of history was done from our state," said Sullivan. "I know we have some dark spots in our history through the south, it still affects people's opinions about Mississippi today."

Sullivan also remarked on the unlikely pairing of an immigrant from India and a life-long southerner working together to resolve the oversight.

"You have Dr. Batra, who is the immigrant and me who is the native-born, life-long resident of Mississippi, it was a unique pair," he said.

Sullivan and Batra are thankful the ratification question has finally been resolved; now that asterisk next to Mississippi can finally be removed.

CREDITS - ABC NEWS

Ancient Paleo-Hebrew Torah Speaks Yoruba Language

CC™ VideoSpective

The Ivy League - The Shift From Traditional Conservative Values To Populist Megalomania Laced With Tyranny

CC™ Opinion

By Boyejo A. Coker, Editor-in-Chief 

The recent shift in the leadership cadre produced by Ivy League schools, may reflect broader societal, political, and cultural changes, that have evolved, over time. Historically, institutions like Yale, Harvard, and others have educated individuals who went on to hold significant political power and influence. Examples of these include the likes of George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Nelson Rockefeller, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. Now, while these men do represent a wide range of political ideologies and eras, they are often associated with a more traditional, establishment-oriented approach to governance.

In contrast, more recent figures like Ron DeSantis, Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, and J.D. Vance are often seen as part of a newer wave of politicians who align with more populist, Neo-conservative, nationalistic, or disruptive political movements. This shift can be attributed to several factors:

1. Changing Political Landscape: Over the past few decades, the political landscape in the United States has become increasingly polarized and acerbically divisive. This polarization has influenced the types of leaders who have risen to prominence, with some appealing to more extreme or partisan bases.

2. Cultural Shifts: The cultural values and priorities of younger generations have evolved, and this is reflected in the types of leaders they support. Issues like identity politics, economic inequality, and climate change have become more central to political discourse, influencing the rise of certain political figures. This has seemed to engender an increasingly polarized political discourse, with little or no room for compromise. 

3. Media and Technology: The rise of social media and 24-hour news cycles has changed how politicians communicate and gain support. Consequently, some of the newer politicians have effectively used these platforms to build their profiles and connect with specific constituencies.

4. Institutional Changes: The Ivy League schools themselves have also evolved. While they continue to produce leaders across the political spectrum, the values and priorities of these institutions and their student bodies, have obviously shifted over time. This has definitely had a huge influence on the types of leaders they produce. 

5. Criticism of Elitism: There has been a growing backlash against perceived elitism and the establishment, particularly in conservative circles. The likes of DeSantis and Vance, have thus positioned themselves as outsiders or critics of the traditional elite, even though they themselves are products of elite institutions.

It's important to note that the impact of these leaders on democracy is both far-reaching and consequential. While supporters of figures like DeSantis, Hawley, and Cruz might argue that they are defending traditional values - challenging overreach by the federal government, or representing the interests of their constituents, critics will point to how their actions and rhetoric do in fact contribute to the erosion of democratic principles, norms and institutions.

Ultimately, while the evolution of leadership from Ivy League schools does reflect broader trends in American society and politics, the jury on the impact of these new generation of leaders, is still out. 

On initial evidence, it does not seem to augur well for the future of the American democratic experiment. 

The Link Between the Modern day Yoruba and the Ancient Egyptians

Ooni of Ife 

CC™ HistoGraphy

By Reno Omokri

The ‘Yoruba’ people are some of the most spiritual people on Earth, (if not the most spiritual bar none). Sadly, however, a lot of Yoruba people do not know that there is absolutely nothing like Yoruba as a people or as a language. Yoruba is a modern creation, from a mispronounced Fulani word. The term Yoruba did not exist before the 19th Century. Yoruba is just like the English language, which was created as a mixture of several Germanic languages, including German, Danish and Dutch, when a mishmash of Saxons came to Britain in the 4th Century and mixed in with the Angle tribe that was native to Britain. When Samuel Ajayi Crowther was captured by Fulani slave traders from his village of Osoogun in 1821 at the age of 12, he reported that he could neither speak or understand the language of the villages they passed through on the way to Lagos. These were villages in present day Ogun and Oyo. Google it yourself. Don’t take my word for it. At that time, there was Egba language, Ijebu language, Owu language, Awori language, Ijesha language, Ondo language, etc. So how did Yoruba come about? When the Portuguese entered Eko and changed the name to Lagos, it became a big trading post and attracted a variety of Edekiri peoples (Edekiri is the actual name for the group of languages now referred to as Yoruba). Gradually, they evolved a mixture of their various dialects and thus began the origins of the modern language now known as Yoruba. As Lagos grew in importance under the British, so did the new language grow in vocabulary and spread. But if you understand the pure root Edekiri language, you will be able to understand bits and pieces of all languages spoken from modern day Kwara, to Kogi, to Edo, to parts of Delta, and to the Southwest states, and to Benin Republic.

Now, in my present pilgrimage to Egypt, a land that was known as Kemet by the original Black inhabitants who were pushed deeper into Africa by wave after wave of invaders, my Egyptologist guide kept on mentioning names that would sound familiar to anyone who is aware of the pure Edekiri language, before it was diluted in Lagos. One of such names is Tiye, wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and daughter of Yuya and Tuya. Tiye was Black. This is undisputed in Egyptology. You ought to research this, or at least Google it. Her DNA was tested. But the interesting thing is that the root word of Tiye’s name and the name of her parents (Yuya and Tuya) is Iye or Iya, which is the pure Edekiri word for mother. Do you still doubt me? Okay. Let’s go deeper. Tiye’s son, who succeeded his father as Pharaoh was Smenkhkare. Google it. That is a pure Edekiri name that is still being used as a name amongst the Edo of Benin (also called Bini). You have such similar names as Nosakhare, Nehikhare being used till today. Another of Queen Tiye’s son’s name, who also became Pharaoh is Akenaten. This is also a root Edekiri name that is still being used in Benin till this very day. In fact, the Binis had a king (Oba) named Oba Akenzua. You will also notice a strong similarity between the ancient Egyptians and the Edekiri people-they did not write their history in words. They carved it, in wood, stone, and metal, using symbols.

Now, let’s talk about the pyramids of Egypt (which are in reality the Pyramids of Kemet). They were built 4600 years ago. By who? Google the Groundnut Pyramids of Nigeria. They were built entirely by native Hausa people. They were not built under the direction of the British. Native Hausas built them just like Black people once built the pyramids in Egypt. Do you know that there are pyramids in Nigeria? Google the Nsude Pyramids. These are pyramids built by people of Igbo origin for their god, Ala. it is not known exactly when these pyramids were built, only that they are prehistoric.

I am still in Egypt, and I have a lot more I could write. But I often hesitate, because when I write these things (especially if I don’t step them down), I end up frightening, or shocking too many people and that is not my intention. So, let me stop here and also encourage my readers to not only read, but even more importantly, do their own thorough independent and unbiased research, just like I have done. I will also encourage my readers to read my earlier work ‘The Ijebu, The Yoruba and Their Influence on The Bible and Judaism’.

Trump predicts he will be impeached for a 3rd time if GOP loses 2026 midterm elections

CC™ PersPective

Political News Staff

US President Donald Trump has cautioned Republican lawmakers that failure to secure victory in the 2026 midterm elections could result in another attempt to impeach him.

Trump issued the warning on Tuesday while addressing members at a House Republican retreat held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

“You have to win the midterms, because if we don’t, they’ll find a reason to impeach me. I’ll get impeached,” the president told the audience.

Trump, who was impeached twice during his first term, was acquitted by the Senate on both occasions.

His first impeachment in 2019 stemmed from allegations of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, while the second, following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, accused him of inciting an insurrection.

“I got impeached twice on nothing,” Trump remarked, speaking on the fifth anniversary of the Capitol attack.

Acknowledging the challenges often faced by the ruling party during midterm elections, Trump maintained that Republican policies offered a superior alternative to those of the Democrats.

“They say when you win the presidency, you lose the midterms. But we have the right policy. They don’t,” he said, criticizing Democrats for sticking together despite what he described as ineffective leadership and poor policy decisions.

Trump also addressed the party’s narrow majority in the House of Representatives, which has reportedly decreased following the death of California lawmaker Doug LaMalfa and the early retirement of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Despite the slim margin, Trump expressed confidence in House Speaker Mike Johnson, praising his leadership.

“A lot of times they say, ‘I wish Mike were tougher.’ He’s tough as anybody in the room,” Trump said, noting the difficulties of governing with a reduced majority.