WASHINGTON: Donald Trump on Tuesday established a task force that he will lead on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, a Democrat-run city that has frequently clashed with the Republican US president.
The group will engage the federal government to “ensure the Games are safe, seamless and historically successful,” potentially offering Trump and his allies greater influence over the sporting event.
Trump will serve as chairman and Vice President JD Vance will be vice-chair of the task force, which will encompass several other leaders in his administration.
Other members include Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who appeared alongside Trump on Tuesday.
Also present were Olympic champion gymnast Nastia Liukin and Brad Snyder, a swimmer who competed at the 2012 Paralympic Games.
Signing an order to establish the group on Tuesday, Trump said “we’ll do anything necessary to keep the Olympics safe” — including potentially deploying “our National Guard or military.”
He enraged Los Angeles and state officials in June with his highly unusual decision to deploy California’s National Guard against the wishes of Governor Gavin Newsom.
Trump claimed the deployment was necessary to quell protests that had flared up against federal immigration raids in Los Angeles, which has a huge migrant population.
On Tuesday he doubled down on his feud with Karen Bass, the city’s Democratic mayor, by labeling her “not very competent.”
Trump has previously criticized her response to wildfires that impacted Los Angeles in January.
However, Casey Wasserman, the chairman of the 2028 LA Olympics organising committee, gave no hints of animosity as he joined Trump for the task force announcement at the White House.
“You’ve been supportive and helpful every step of the way. And we wouldn’t be here without you,” Wasserman said.
Los Angeles was awarded the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in September 2017, during Trump’s first term.
Wasserman also flattered the president with examples of gold, silver and bronze medals that were given to athletes the last time Los Angeles hosted the Games in 1984.
And he offered Trump a chance to carry the Olympic flame — something he has already done in New York ahead of the Athens Games in 2004.
“For the first time in history, we are going to take the Olympic torch relay to all 50 states,” Wasserman said.
“And sir, if you’d like to run on Park Avenue again to revisit history, you’re more than welcome,” he told Trump.
Trump’s second term will coincide with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics — two major global sporting events taking place in the United States.
Trump praised Gene Sykes, chair of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee board of directors, for the USOPC’s move to effectively bar transgender women from competing in women’s sports.
“The United States will not let men steal trophies from women at the 2028 Olympics,” Trump said.
He questioned why he didn’t hear applause from the room when he praised Sykes for it, and then received some claps from some people in the room.
Asked about genetic testing for participating athletes, Trump said: “There will be a very, very strong form of testing and if the test doesn’t come out appropriately, they won’t be in the Olympics.”
Trump “considers it a great honour to oversee this global sporting spectacle,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, calling sports one of the president’s “greatest passions.”
Along with the 2028 Summer Games, Trump has said that the 2026 World Cup being hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico is among the events he’s most looking forward to in his second term.
In preparation for next year’s competition, the governments of all three countries on Tuesday said they had held the first meeting of a trilateral coordinating council of government officials, industry leaders and security professionals discussing a variety of issues including preparedness for any security threats ahead of the World Cup.
Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2025
