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Former President Trump has yet again stated he would influence FIFA to relocate global soccer tournament games from a venue based on municipal political climate, with Boston now being the latest such city to receive such warnings from the US president. Additionally, Trump suggested he would evaluate similar action against Los Angeles for the upcoming Olympic Games due to perceived public safety risks.

Official Power and Possible Pressure

Although Trump lacks official jurisdiction to unilaterally remove either competition, he may exert influence the respective governing bodies overseeing each competition to shift host cities.

Setting for Statements

These statements were made during a press event with Argentina's leader Milei, who was at the White House following the announcement of a multibillion-dollar rescue package for the South American nation. Toward the close of the event, a media member questioned Trump about a current public disturbance in downtown Boston where law enforcement were assaulted and a cruiser was set on fire. The journalist also asked if the situation could lead to the loss of hosting duties for the larger soccer tournament.

“I would take them away,” Trump remarked about the World Cup games, planned to be held at the Foxborough venue. “The city's leader is poor … she is far-left, and activists are occupying areas of the city. It's a significant assertion, right?”

Public Gatherings and Public Safety Concerns

Street takeovers, a social media-driven occurrence where participants congregate on urban roads during nighttime to perform stunts, have been a ongoing issue in US urban areas since the lockdown closures. Current incidents have escalated into violence in the region, notably in Boston. Nevertheless, these occurrences are usually not regarded as linked to any specific political ideology.

“If a city is failing, and I feel there’s dangerous circumstances, I would call the FIFA head, who is outstanding, and tell him it should be shifted to another location,” he said on Tuesday. “And he would do that. He wouldn’t love the action, but he'd agree. Readily, he’d do it.”

FIFA Relationship

The organization's head has publicly acknowledged his attempts to be publicly aligned with Trump ahead of the 2026 event, planned to be hosted in multiple US locations across the United States along with two in Canada and a few in the southern neighbor. The head has appeared at various presidential events, arranged for Trump hand over the club tournament cup after that tournament’s final, and has even postponed his the group's assembly to travel with Trump on a visit to the Arab region previously.

Past Statements

Nevertheless, Trump from suggesting the relocation of FIFA World Cup games from additional American venues. Recently, Seattle and the Bay Area metropolis faced similar comments, with Trump claiming both urban centers were “run by ideological activists who don’t know what they're managing,” while criticizing the safety level of both areas and implying that events could be shifted.

Official Rebuttal

FIFA vice-president Montagliani rejected Trump’s statements when he commented subsequently at a conference in the UK capital.

“It’s the organization's event, under our authority, FIFA makes those decisions,” the vice-president declared. “Respectfully to national heads, football is bigger than political figures and soccer will endure their tenure and their policies. That is the essence of this sport, that it is more significant than a single person and bigger than any country.”

2028 Comments

On Tuesday, Trump’s response to a inquiry about the Massachusetts city veered into a parallel statement regarding the LA Olympic event.

“When I believed Los Angeles was not prepared properly, I will move it to an alternate venue if necessary,” he said. “On that one I’d probably have to secure a alternative approval, but we would do that.”

Official consent Trump mentioned would have to come via the IOC. The leader, the newly elected president, was selected to her position in spring and has so far not appear together with him, but she said that she would like a meeting with the US figure at some point.

Further Comments

He also criticized California governor Newsom’s handling of the California fires, saying that a similar situation could cause the cancellation of the Games.

“In case the governor doesn’t play ball, we are going to have to be strict,” he said.

His statement was just as unambiguous for Boston.

“Boston should address these issues,” Trump stated. “That’s all my message.”