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Former President Trump has repeatedly announced he would influence FIFA to remove 2026 World Cup games from a designated city based on municipal political climate, with Massachusetts emerging as the most recent targeted location to encounter such warnings from the American leader. Moreover, Trump remarked he would contemplate similar action against Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics due to potential safety issues.

Official Power and Potential Influence

Although Trump lacks direct legal authority to unilaterally remove either event, he is able to lobby the organizing committees in charge of each competition to shift host cities.

Setting for Statements

The comments were made during a media briefing with Argentina's leader Milei, who was visiting the presidential residence following the revelation of a multibillion-dollar rescue package for the Argentine nation. Near the close of the meeting, a reporter asked Trump about a recent public disturbance in downtown Boston where law enforcement were targeted and a police vehicle was burned. The reporter also wondered if such events could lead to the revocation of hosting duties for the larger soccer tournament.

“I would take them away,” he stated regarding the World Cup games, set to be hosted at Gillette Stadium. “The city's leader is poor … she is radical left, and they are taking over parts of the city. That is a pretty big statement, don't you think?”

Public Gatherings and Political Context

Street takeovers, a online-fueled trend where groups of people congregate on city streets after dark to engage in dangerous driving, have emerged as a ongoing issue in metropolitan centers since the coronavirus shutdowns. Current incidents have turned violent in the region, notably in downtown. Yet, these events are typically not considered associated with any particular ideological group.

“In cases where a city is performing poorly, and I perceive there are dangerous circumstances, I would call Gianni [Infantino], who is outstanding, and suggest we should relocate it to an alternate venue,” he commented during the event. “He'd do that. He might not prefer the action, but he'd agree. Very easily, he would.”

FIFA Relationship

The organization's head has made no secret his attempts to be publicly aligned with the US leader ahead of the upcoming World Cup, scheduled to be hosted in multiple US locations across the US along with two in the northern neighbor and multiple in Mexico. The head has participated at several White House functions, had Trump hand over the Club World Cup trophy after the championship match, and has even rescheduled his the group's assembly to travel with Trump on a journey to the Arab region this year.

Past Statements

Despite this, Trump from threatening the cancellation of World Cup games from other US host cities. In late September, Seattle and San Francisco faced parallel statements, with Trump claiming both urban centers were “led by radical left lunatics who are clueless what they are doing,” while challenging the public safety of both areas and implying that games could be shifted.

Official Rebuttal

The organization's deputy Montagliani rejected Trump’s assertions when he commented days later at a conference in the UK capital.

“It’s the organization's event, FIFA’s jurisdiction, the organization determines those decisions,” he declared. “Politely to current world leaders, football is transcends any individual and the game will survive their regime and their leadership. That’s the beauty of this sport, that it is bigger than any individual and beyond a nation.”

LA Games Warning

On Tuesday, Trump’s response to a inquiry about the Massachusetts city included a similar threat regarding the LA Olympic event.

“When I thought Los Angeles was not going to be sufficiently organized, I'd relocate it to an alternate venue if I had to,” he said. “On that one I might have to obtain a different kind of consent, but we'd proceed.”

The permission Trump refers to would need to come via the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Their president, she, was selected to her post in March and has not yet meet publicly with Trump, but she stated that she hopes for a meeting with him at some point.

Other Remarks

He also criticized the state's leader Newsom’s handling of this year’s California fires, saying that a comparable scenario could lead to the cancellation of the Olympics.

“In case the governor doesn’t play ball, we will have to be very tough,” the former president said.

The warning was similarly unambiguous for Boston.

“The city should improve their situation,” Trump stated. “That’s all I will say.”