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Former President Trump has once again announced he would urge FIFA to pull upcoming World Cup games from a host city based on that city's politics, with Boston now being the most recent such city to encounter such warnings from the US president. Furthermore, Trump suggested he would evaluate parallel steps against Southern California for the 2028 Olympics due to perceived public safety risks.

Jurisdictional Limits and Potential Influence

While Trump lacks direct legal authority to unilaterally remove either competition, he may exert influence the respective governing bodies in charge of each event to change host cities.

Context of Remarks

His statements were made during a media briefing with Argentinian president Milei, who was visiting the presidential residence following the revelation of a multibillion-dollar financial assistance for the Latin American country. Near the close of the gathering, a journalist inquired Trump about a recent unauthorized gathering in Boston where police officers were targeted and a police vehicle was set on fire. The journalist also wondered if these incidents could result in the revocation of tournament responsibilities for the 48-team soccer tournament.

“It's possible to take them away,” Trump stated regarding the soccer matches, set to be staged at the Massachusetts arena. “The city's leader is poor … they're far-left, and they’re occupying sections of the city. That is a significant claim, don't you think?”

Street Takeovers and Ideological Perceptions

Unauthorized gatherings, a social media-driven occurrence where large crowds assemble on public avenues late at night to conduct vehicular acrobatics, have been a frequent issue in American cities since the lockdown closures. Recent such gatherings have become aggressive in Massachusetts, specifically in downtown. Yet, these gatherings are usually not seen as linked to any distinct partisan agenda.

“When someone is doing a bad job, and I believe there’s dangerous circumstances, I will call the FIFA head, who is outstanding, and tell him let’s move it to an alternate venue,” he said on Tuesday. “He'd do that. He might not prefer doing it, but he would comply. Very easily, he would.”

FIFA Relationship

The organization's head has been open his attempts to be publicly aligned with Trump before the upcoming World Cup, scheduled to be staged in 11 cities across the US along with a couple in the northern neighbor and multiple in the southern neighbor. The head has participated at multiple Oval Office gatherings, facilitated Trump present the FIFA club trophy after the championship match, and has even delayed his FIFA's internal meeting to join Trump on a journey to the Gulf states earlier in 2025.

Past Statements

Nevertheless, Trump from suggesting the cancellation of FIFA World Cup games from different locations. Recently, the Washington city and the Bay Area metropolis faced similar criticism, with Trump claiming both cities were “governed by radical left lunatics who are clueless what they are doing,” while criticizing the security conditions of both cities and suggesting that games could be shifted.

FIFA Response

The organization's deputy Montagliani dismissed Trump’s statements when he reacted subsequently at a conference in England.

“It is the organization's event, our responsibility, FIFA makes those decisions,” Montagliani said. “Politely to sitting presidents, soccer is transcends political figures and soccer will survive their regime and their leadership. It's the strength of our game, that it is more significant than a single person and beyond individual states.”

Olympics Threat

During the event, Trump’s reply to a inquiry about Boston included a comparable warning regarding the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“In case I perceived LA was failing to be sufficiently organized, I will shift it to a different city as needed,” he said. “For the Olympics I’d probably have to get a different kind of permission, but we would take that action.”

The permission Trump mentioned would need to come through the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Their leader, she, was elected to her role in this year and has so far not meet publicly with him, although she stated that she desires a sit-down with the US figure at some point.

Additional Criticism

He also condemned California governor Newsom’s management of the LA wildfires, saying that a similar situation could lead to the cancellation of the Olympics.

“In case Newsom refuses to cooperate, we are going to have to be strict,” he stated.

His message was just as unambiguous for Boston.

“The city should improve their situation,” he said. “That’s all I can say.”