A Los Angeles City Council committee on the 2028 Olympic Games has asked local organizing committee officials to clarify the role and responsibilities of a federal task force in the preparations for the Games.<\/p>\n
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez asked in a motion requesting LA28 officials provide the council\u2019s ad hoc committee on the Olympic and Paralympic Games in a Monday meeting with a detailed presentation \u201con the new federal Olympics task force, its purpose, jurisdiction, anticipated activities, and the implications for the City\u2019s planning and preparation for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This should also include guidance on what guardrails the City can enact to ensure that the City\u2019s most vulnerable communities are protected.\u201d<\/p>\n
President Trump signed an executive order in August establishing a federal task force on the Olympic for the Los Angeles Games. Similar task forces have been established for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, as well as for next summer\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n
But Trump\u2019s repeated threats to move the Games and World Cup matches out of Los Angeles and other blue state cities, as well as threats to deploy military or National Guard troops to the city during the Olympics, have heightened concerns about the role of the task force in the planning and implementation of the Games among state and local officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll do anything necessary to keep the Olympics safe, including using our National Guard or military,\u201d Trump said during the August 5 ceremony.<\/p>\n
Trump will serve as chairman of both the Olympic and World Cup task forces.<\/p>\n
During the August ceremony, which was attended by LA 28 chairman Casey Wasserman and Gene Sykes, the USOPC chairman and an IOC member, Trump also referred to Mayor Karen Bass as \u201cnot very competent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump went further in speaking with reporters in October.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I thought LA was not going to be prepared properly, I would move it to another location,\u201d Trump said. \u201c(California governor) Gavin Newsom, he\u2019s got to get his act together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump cannot legally remove the Olympic Games from Los Angeles, but the administration\u2019s control over federal funding and visas could be used as leverage against Olympic and World Cup organizers to extract concessions that could threaten the integrity and success of the global events, according to current and former IOC members, Olympic historians and experts and current and former Los Angeles city and county officials told the Southern California News Group<\/a>, and according to contracts and other documents related to the Olympics and World Cup.<\/p>\n \u201cThe White House Task Force on the 2028 Games plays an important role in facilitating coordination across federal departments and agencies, providing the federal support needed for the Games,\u201d LA28 said in a statement to the SCNG. \u201cFor LA28, this Task Force represents an important planning milestone and reinforces the federal government\u2019s commitment to working with the City and LA28 to deliver a safe and successful Games.\u201d<\/p>\n But concerns about Trump and his allies were further heightened when a number Trump associates were added to the LA28 board, including Reince Priebus, the former onetime Republican National Committee chair and Trump\u2019s first chief of staff in his first term, and Kevin McCarthy, the former Speaker of the House and leading Trump donor Diane Hendricks and Ken Moelis, Trump\u2019s banker in the 1990s.<\/p>\n \u201cThe creation of this task force raised questions about its scope, responsibilities, and how its work will intersect with the City\u2019s ongoing preparations for the Games,\u201d Rodriguez wrote. \u201cGiven that Los Angeles will be the host City, it is critical that the Council, and the public, understand the role of the task force and how it will coordinate with local stakeholders.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is also critical that the City remain steadfast in protecting and uplifting our own communities, particularly our most vulnerable communities, such as our undocumented residents who may be directly or indirectly affected by heightened security measures or federal engagement. Clarity is needed on issues such as public safety, transportation, infrastructure, and community engagement, as well as how federal, state and local responsibilities will align in advance of the Games.<\/p>\n \u201cLA28, is uniquely positioned to brief the Council on the establishment of the federal task force and provide transparency regarding its role, and how it will align with Los Angeles\u2019 priorities for safety and community trust.\u201d<\/p>\n RELATED:<\/p>\n