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Donald Trump has repeatedly stated he would influence FIFA to remove 2026 World Cup games from a venue based on municipal political climate, with the Boston region now being the most recent urban area to encounter such threats from the White House. Additionally, Trump remarked he would evaluate similar action against Southern California for the 2028 Summer Games due to perceived security concerns.

Official Power and Potential Influence

While Trump holds no formal power to directly relocate either event, he is able to exert influence the respective governing bodies overseeing each event to change venues.

Context of Remarks

The remarks were made during a press event with Javier Milei, who was at the presidential residence following the disclosure of a multibillion-dollar financial assistance for the Latin American economy. At the end of the meeting, a journalist questioned Trump about a current unauthorized gathering in downtown Boston where authorities were targeted and a police vehicle was set on fire. The journalist also questioned if the situation could result in the loss of organizing rights for the larger football competition.

“I would take them away,” the former president said about the soccer matches, set to be staged at the Foxborough venue. “Their mayor is not good … she’s radical left, and activists are dominating parts of Boston. That is a significant claim, don't you think?”

Public Gatherings and Political Context

Unauthorized gatherings, a social media-driven phenomenon where large crowds congregate on public avenues late at night to conduct vehicular acrobatics, have been a frequent issue in metropolitan centers since the lockdown closures. Recent such gatherings have turned violent in the state, notably in Boston. Nevertheless, these occurrences are generally not seen as linked to any distinct partisan agenda.

“In cases where someone is doing a bad job, and I perceive there are dangerous circumstances, I would call the FIFA head, who is phenomenal, and suggest it should be shifted to another location,” he commented on Tuesday. “He will do that. He may not enjoy to do it, but he’d do it. Readily, he’d do it.”

FIFA Relationship

The organization's head has publicly acknowledged his efforts to be closely connected with the US leader prior to the upcoming World Cup, planned to be hosted in numerous American venues across the America along with several in the northern neighbor and a few in Mexico. The FIFA president has been present at several White House gatherings, facilitated Trump hand over the club tournament cup after the championship match, and has even delayed his FIFA's internal meeting to accompany Trump on a trip to the Arab region previously.

Past Statements

This has not stopped, Trump from warning about the relocation of soccer games from other US host cities. Recently, Seattle and San Francisco faced similar statements, with Trump claiming both cities were “run by radical left lunatics who are clueless what they are doing,” while criticizing the public safety of both locales and implying that matches could be shifted.

Official Rebuttal

Victor Montagliani dismissed Trump’s assertions when he reacted days later at a conference in London.

“It is FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction, the organization determines such choices,” he stated. “With all due respect to current world leaders, soccer is bigger than political figures and the game will survive their tenure and their leadership. It's the beauty of this sport, that it is bigger than one leader and bigger than individual states.”

LA Games Warning

During the event, Trump’s reply to a question about Boston extended to a similar threat regarding the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“When I believed the city was failing to be prepared properly, I would relocate it to an alternate venue as needed,” he remarked. “Regarding that event I may have to obtain a alternative approval, but we would take that action.”

The permission Trump alluded to would need to come from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Their head, Kirsty Coventry, was elected to her role in spring and has yet to meet publicly with him, but she stated that she would like a sit-down with the US figure at some point.

Additional Criticism

The former president also condemned Gavin Newsom’s management of this year’s California fires, saying that a similar situation could cause the removal of the event.

“In case he is uncooperative, we will have to be very tough,” he stated.

The warning was equally unambiguous for the Massachusetts city.

“They must improve their situation,” he said. “That’s all I can say.”