US President Donald Trump has again threatened democratically run cities with withdrawing World Cup games. In the presence of the head of the world association, Gianni Infantino, the 79-year-old Republican cited security concerns in the White House and particularly targeted Los Angeles and Seattle.
“In the case of California, we have a problem. Crime is high, and the state has just experienced devastating fires and other disasters, and the authorities have not done a good job,” Trump said. And further: “I love Los Angeles. If you need help in this situation, I would be happy to send the National Guard or other necessary forces.”
The state of California with the metropolis of Los Angeles is governed by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, a political opponent of Trump. “The governors have to behave. The mayors have to behave,” Trump demanded. Referring to Seattle with Democratic Mayor Katie Wilson, he said: “If we have even the slightest suspicion of problems, I would ask Gianni to move the event to another city.”
Infantino reacts cautiously
Infantino reacted cautiously to the US President’s statements. Safety is the top priority for a successful World Cup, explained the Swiss. “We see today that people have confidence in the United States,” Infantino said. This is of course the responsibility of the government. He did not address the possibility of moving the game to cities other than the selected eleven cities in the USA.
Trump did not respond specifically to the question of when the move to another city would have to happen at the latest. The Republican has been claiming for months that crime in some US cities is out of control and can only be brought under control with his help. Crime statistics do not support these claims.
Next summer, the USA, together with Mexico and Canada, will host the largest World Cup in history with 48 participating countries. The draw will take place on December 5th in the US capital Washington.
