Trump muses about what it would take to strip US World Cup host cities of games just months before the tournament kicks off

By Kyle Feldscher, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump issued a veiled threat to Democratic-run cities slated to host World Cup matches next year, saying he might ask FIFA to move games from certain cities if he feels crime is too high or local leadership isn’t cooperating with the federal government.

Speaking in the Oval Office with FIFA president Gianni Infantino by his side, Trump was asked what it would take for World Cup games to be taken away from host cities, as he has previously threatened.

“The governors are going to have to behave. The mayors are going to have to behave,” Trump said.

“In the case of California, you have a problem. You have high crime and you have a place that just suffered great fires and everything else, and they didn’t do a very good job. … So, here’s the story. I love Los Angeles. If they want help during this, I would love to send in the National Guard or whoever is necessary to help them. I want it to be great. I’d love it to be in Los Angeles. I love the place. It’s a natural for Los Angeles.”

He added, “If we think there’s going to be crime, if we are obstructed by the governor – and maybe he won’t obstruct, maybe it’ll be great. But I’d love for him to call and say, ‘You know, we’d like to have some extra (help)’ because if there’s even a hint of a problem, we want to get in there before the problem occurs.”

Trump last month threatened to pull World Cup games from Boston after mentioning his displeasure with that city’s Democratic mayor, Michelle Wu.

When asked for specifics on Monday about what it would take for him to try and move matches from host cities, Trump was vague.

“If we think there’s going to be any sign of any trouble, I would ask Gianni to move that to a different city,” he said. “We have a lot of cities that would love to have it, No. 1, and we’ll do it very safely.”

Reporters asked the president about his threats to pull games and – in an extraordinary moment – turned to Infantino, saying, “But if we think there’s going to be a problem, Gianni, can I say we will move?”

The FIFA president, who has developed a tight relationship with Trump in recent years, declined to enthusiastically back the idea.

“Safety and security is the No. 1 priority for a successful World Cup,” Infantino said in response to Trump.

“We can see today that people have trust in the United States. … They know that they will be coming here, and they will experience a safe and secure World Cup. This is the responsibility, of course, of the government, of (Homeland Security) Secretary (Kristi) Noem, of everyone.”

“And obviously we will, I mean, we will discuss. We are working together. We have a task force for this, and we must ensure that all fans coming from abroad or being here – they can experience a celebration of coming together, of the sport.”

Moving World Cup games away from a current host city would be an extraordinary decision that has little, if any, precedent in one of the world’s most important sporting events.

The host cities were announced in May 2022, more than four years before the first ball will be kicked in the tournament. The 11 US cities, along with the other host cities in Mexico and Canada, have been spending time and money preparing for the tournament with infrastructure improvements, security planning and extensive plans to host an influx of millions of visitors that will be traveling for the games.

But that agenda is running squarely into Trump’s tactic of sending the National Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement agencies into Democratic-run cities – such as Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Chicago and others – to crack down on illegal immigration and crime.

The heavy-handed federal presence in cities around the country, including just this past weekend in Charlotte, has raised alarm bells for his political opponents who see the operations as oppressive. While they’re nominally meant to crack down on illegal immigration, reports have circulated of US citizens being caught up in federal operations and many community activists have expressed displeasure with the unrequested help.

Trump said his preference would be that Democratic leaders of 2026 World Cup host cities simply invite the National Guard into their cities now.

“If they would tell us now, they’re not gonna have a problem,” Trump said. “Because if we go in, they don’t have a problem.

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