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Former President Trump has repeatedly stated he would urge FIFA to remove upcoming World Cup events from a host city based on municipal politics, with the Boston region emerging as the latest such city to receive such statements from the US president. Additionally, Trump indicated he would consider parallel steps against Southern California for the upcoming Olympic Games due to potential safety issues.

Official Power and Potential Influence

Although Trump holds no official jurisdiction to personally cancel either event, he is able to apply pressure the organizing committees managing each competition to move locations.

Context of Remarks

The comments were made during a news conference with Javier Milei, who was present in the executive mansion following the disclosure of a massive bailout for the Latin American economy. Toward the close of the event, a media member inquired Trump about a current public disturbance in Boston where law enforcement were attacked and a police vehicle was set on fire. The correspondent also wondered if such events could result in the removal of hosting duties for the expanded football competition.

“We could take them away,” Trump stated regarding the FIFA World Cup games, planned to be hosted at the Massachusetts arena. “Their mayor is not good … she’s radical left, and activists are taking over sections of Boston. It's a major statement, don't you think?”

Urban Disturbances and Political Context

Public disruptions, a online-fueled occurrence where large crowds assemble on city streets during nighttime to conduct vehicular acrobatics, have become a repeated issue in US urban areas since the lockdown restrictions. Latest incidents have turned violent in the region, specifically in downtown. Yet, these gatherings are usually not seen as tied to any distinct partisan agenda.

“When a mayor is doing a bad job, and I feel there’s security risks, I would call the FIFA head, who is outstanding, and say let’s move it to an alternate venue,” the former president stated on Tuesday. “He will do that. He may not enjoy to do it, but he’d do it. Without hesitation, he would.”

Organizational Alignment

The organization's head has made no secret his strategies to be publicly aligned with the US leader ahead of the 2026 event, planned to be organized in multiple US locations across the United States along with a couple in Canada and multiple in Mexico. The head has appeared at various White House gatherings, facilitated Trump deliver the club tournament cup after the concluding game, and has even rescheduled his own organization’s congress to join Trump on a trip to the Gulf states previously.

Previous Threats

This has not stopped, Trump from threatening the removal of World Cup matches from additional American venues. On September 25, the Washington city and San Francisco were parallel comments, with Trump asserting both locations were “led by radical left lunatics who are clueless what they’re doing,” while criticizing the security conditions of both areas and suggesting that matches could be shifted.

FIFA Response

Victor Montagliani rejected Trump’s statements when he commented afterward at a event in England.

“It’s FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions,” the vice-president declared. “Politely to sitting presidents, the sport is more important than any individual and the game will endure their tenure and their government. It's the beauty of this sport, that it is transcends a single person and beyond individual states.”

Olympics Threat

During the event, Trump’s reply to a question about the Massachusetts city included a similar threat regarding the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“If I believed Los Angeles was not going to be sufficiently organized, I'd shift it to an alternate venue if I had to,” he remarked. “Regarding that event I may have to secure a alternative approval, but we would proceed.”

The permission Trump alluded to would must come through the IOC. Their leader, Kirsty Coventry, was elected to her position in spring and has so far not hold a public appearance with Trump, although she indicated that she would like a sit-down with him at eventually.

Other Remarks

He also condemned Gavin Newsom’s handling of the LA wildfires, saying that a similar situation could result in the relocation of the event.

“When Newsom doesn’t play ball, we are going to have to be firm,” the former president commented.

His statement was just as unambiguous for Boston.

“They better address these issues,” Trump stated. “That’s all I can say.”