Donald Trump announced on Tuesday the creation of a White House taskforce that he will lead to oversee elements of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The president signed an executive order establishing the taskforce, which will include JD Vance as well as other cabinet members and government officials. The body will work with local and state authorities on security and transportation for the first Games in the US in nearly three decades.
Trump will chair the taskforce, while Vance will serve as vice-chair and an executive director will oversee “daily operations”, according to the White House.
“The LA Olympics is shaping up to be a wonderful moment for America. It’s going to be incredible,” Trump said.
With the Olympics just three years away, Los Angeles has been rushing to prepare for the Games, which are expected to attract millions of people over the course of 16 days.
The city has been planning for the event for years. In recent weeks, city leaders have been engaged in what the Los Angeles Times described as “high-stakes” negotiations with LA28, the committee managing the event, over the use of city staff, including police officers. Meanwhile, a proposed ballot measure could require some Olympic venues to receive approval from voters in order to be used.
The preparations come at a challenging time for LA. The devastating wildfires that tore through the area in January and recovery efforts have strained the region’s finances.
Meanwhile, the city has clashed fiercely with the Trump administration over aggressive immigration raids in the region and the deployment of US troops into the city over the objections of city and state leaders.
Still, LA mayor Karen Bass has said the city will be ready to host the Olympics. And during the peak of this summer’s protests, the former International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, expressed confidence in the “strong” city and said the Games have the support of US leaders.
“With regard to LA, we have the full support of the president of the United States and the governor of California and the mayor of Los Angeles for the success of these Olympic Games,” Bach told the Associated Press in June before he stepped down.
Trump’s announcement of the taskforce displayed his strong support for the LA Olympicsand his contentious relationship with the region’s leaders.
In the past, Trump has frequently touted his support for hosting the Games in Los Angeles and his recent budget bill allocates $1bn for security, planning and other Olympic-related costs.
At the White House on Tuesday, the president said that the city is “a little bit of a different place” than it was when selected in 2017, but “we’re gonna bring it back stronger than ever”.
Trump said that the federal government would consider using the national guard or military during the games, and criticized Bass, calling her “not very competent”, along with California governor Gavin Newsom.
The taskforce will “streamline visa processing and credentialing” for participants and media, the White House said in a statement.
The order also directs various government departments, as well as the FBI and the Secret Service to use “every tool at their disposal” to ensure a safe Olympics, the president said.
He also heralded his administration’s crackdown on transgender athletes, telling reporters that the US will not let “men steal trophies from women”.
During Tuesday’s announcement, the chair and president of LA28 expressed appreciation to the administration for its “extraordinary” support and praised the creation of the taskforce.
“You’ve been supportive and helpful every step of the way, and we wouldn’t be here without you,” Casey Wasserman said. “And now with the creation of this taskforce, we’ve unlocked the opportunity to level up our planning and deliver the largest and yes, greatest Games for our nation ever.”
