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Donald Trump has once again announced he would pressure FIFA to pull global soccer tournament matches from a host city based on the local politics, with Massachusetts becoming the most recent such city to face such statements from the US president. Moreover, Trump indicated he would contemplate parallel steps against Southern California for the 2028 Olympics due to potential public safety risks.

Official Power and Possible Pressure

While Trump holds no official jurisdiction to unilaterally remove either tournament, he is able to apply pressure the respective governing bodies managing each tournament to move venues.

Context of Remarks

The statements were made during a news conference with Javier Milei, who was visiting the White House following the revelation of a massive bailout for the Latin American economy. At the end of the event, a media member questioned Trump about a recent unauthorized gathering in downtown Boston where police officers were assaulted and a patrol car was burned. The journalist also questioned if these incidents could lead to the revocation of organizing rights for the 48-team football competition.

“We could take them away,” the former president remarked concerning the FIFA World Cup matches, scheduled to be held at Gillette Stadium. “The city's leader is ineffective … she’s radical left, and they’re taking over parts of Boston. It's a significant claim, don't you think?”

Urban Disturbances and Political Context

Unauthorized gatherings, a digitally organized trend where groups of people congregate on public avenues during nighttime to conduct vehicular acrobatics, have been a repeated issue in American cities since the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. Current similar events have turned violent in Massachusetts, notably in downtown. Yet, these occurrences are generally not regarded as linked to any distinct partisan agenda.

“When a city is doing a bad job, and I believe there’s dangerous circumstances, I would call the FIFA head, who is outstanding, and tell him we should relocate it to another location,” he stated on Tuesday. “And he would do that. He might not prefer doing it, but he’d do it. Very easily, he’d do it.”

Organizational Alignment

Gianni Infantino has publicly acknowledged his efforts to be publicly aligned with Trump ahead of next year’s tournament, scheduled to be organized in numerous American venues across the US along with a couple in the northern neighbor and a few in the southern neighbor. The organization's leader has participated at several presidential events, had Trump deliver the Club World Cup award after the championship match, and has even delayed his own organization’s congress to join Trump on a trip to the Middle East previously.

Past Statements

Nevertheless, Trump from threatening the relocation of FIFA World Cup matches from additional American venues. On September 25, Seattle and San Francisco were similar criticism, with Trump asserting both cities were “run by radical left lunatics who are clueless what they're managing,” while questioning the public safety of both cities and suggesting that events could be removed.

FIFA Response

FIFA vice-president Montagliani rebuffed Trump’s assertions when he commented subsequently at a conference in London.

“It’s our competition, our responsibility, the organization determines such choices,” the vice-president stated. “Respectfully to current world leaders, football is bigger than them and the game will outlast their regime and their policies. That is the beauty of football, that it is transcends a single person and bigger than any country.”

LA Games Warning

Similarly, Trump’s reply to a query about the Massachusetts city included a similar threat regarding the LA Olympic event.

“If I perceived the city was not sufficiently organized, I'd move it to a different city if I had to,” he remarked. “Regarding that event I may have to obtain a different kind of approval, but we would do that.”

Any approval Trump mentioned would have to come from the Olympic governing body. Their leader, the newly elected president, was chosen to her post in March and has not yet meet publicly with him, though she indicated that she desires a sit-down with the US figure at some point.

Further Comments

Trump also condemned California governor Newsom’s response of this year’s California fires, saying that a parallel incident could lead to the cancellation of the event.

“If the governor is uncooperative, we’re gonna have to be firm,” he stated.

His message was just as direct for Boston.

“They should clean up their act,” he remarked. “That’s all my message.”