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Former President Trump has yet again declared he would influence FIFA to relocate upcoming World Cup games from a designated city based on the local political climate, with Massachusetts emerging as the third such city to receive such statements from the US president. Additionally, Trump suggested he would evaluate comparable measures against Southern California for the 2028 Summer Games due to potential safety issues.

Jurisdictional Limits and Informal Leverage

Even though Trump lacks direct legal authority to unilaterally remove either competition, he may exert influence the respective governing bodies overseeing each event to shift venues.

Setting for Statements

These remarks were made during a news conference with Argentina's leader Milei, who was at the White House following the disclosure of a massive bailout for the South American country. At the end of the event, a media member inquired Trump about a latest “street takeover” in the city where law enforcement were attacked and a cruiser was burned. The correspondent also wondered if the situation could cause the revocation of organizing rights for the expanded soccer tournament.

“I would take them away,” Trump said regarding the soccer games, planned to be hosted at Gillette Stadium. “She is not good … they're extremist, and activists are occupying parts of the city. That’s a significant statement, right?”

Street Takeovers and Ideological Perceptions

Public disruptions, a social media-driven occurrence where groups of people assemble on city streets during nighttime to perform stunts, have emerged as a repeated issue in metropolitan centers since the lockdown restrictions. Latest such gatherings have escalated into violence in the region, notably in the city. Nevertheless, these occurrences are usually not regarded as associated with any particular partisan agenda.

“When a city is doing a bad job, and I feel there’s dangerous circumstances, I'd call Gianni [Infantino], who is phenomenal, and suggest we should relocate it to a different city,” Trump stated publicly. “He'd do that. He might not prefer to do it, but he would comply. Readily, he’d do it.”

Political Connections

The organization's head has publicly acknowledged his strategies to be visibly associated with Trump ahead of the upcoming World Cup, scheduled to be hosted in numerous American venues across the US along with two in the northern neighbor and multiple in Mexico. The head has appeared at several Oval Office events, arranged for Trump deliver the club tournament trophy after that tournament’s final, and has even rescheduled his own organization’s congress to accompany Trump on a visit to the Arab region earlier in 2025.

Earlier Warnings

Nevertheless, Trump from threatening the cancellation of soccer events from other US host cities. Recently, Seattle and San Francisco came under comparable criticism, with Trump asserting both locations were “run by radical left lunatics who don’t know what they are doing,” while challenging the public safety of both areas and implying that events could be relocated.

Organizational Statement

FIFA vice-president Montagliani rejected Trump’s assertions when he reacted days later at a event in London.

“This is the organization's event, our responsibility, we decide these matters,” he said. “Politely to national heads, soccer is bigger than them and football will survive their regime and their leadership. That is the essence of this sport, that it is bigger than one leader and beyond a nation.”

Olympics Threat

On Tuesday, Trump’s answer to a query about Boston extended to a similar threat regarding the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“If I believed Los Angeles was failing to be sufficiently organized, I would relocate it to another location as needed,” Trump stated. “On that one I might have to get a alternative consent, but we would proceed.”

Official consent Trump refers to would have to come through the Olympic governing body. Their head, she, was chosen to her role in March and has not yet hold a public appearance with him, but she indicated that she desires a sit-down with the US figure at eventually.

Further Comments

Trump also criticized California governor Newsom’s management of this year’s LA wildfires, stating that a similar situation could lead to the removal of the Olympics.

“When Newsom is uncooperative, we will have to be firm,” he said.

His statement was similarly clear for Boston.

“The city should clean up their act,” he remarked. “It's I will say.”