LA28 Organizers Look to World Cup for Political Playbook
With the LA Olympics two years away, organizers are studying the World Cup's handling of political issues, particularly the relationship between FIFA and President Trump. IOC president Kirsty Coventry has yet to engage directly with Trump, but LA28 has a dedicated government affairs team. The article suggests lessons for managing political interference during the Games.
The LA28 organizing committee operates a dedicated Government Federal Affairs team that maintains contact with the White House Task Force, a body established and chaired by Trump specifically for the 2028 Summer Games. Casey Wasserman, LA28's chairman, holds the contractual obligations for the event, while IOC president Kirsty Coventry has yet to engage directly with Trump despite both attending the World Cup final in July, where they sat in separate sections of MetLife Stadium.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the 2026 World Cup, credits the Infantino-Trump relationship as a primary driver of the tournament's success. He has publicly advised Coventry to build a similar rapport, warning that failing to tap into Trump's capacity for hosting major events would leave the Olympics underperforming its potential.
The relationship between Olympic leadership and the sitting U.S. president could shape everything from athlete visa processing to federal security coordination during the 2028 Games. If organizers fail to establish productive ties, logistical bottlenecks may emerge that affect athletes, sponsors, and the roughly 15,000 competitors' families. Conversely, a close political alliance could raise concerns about the Games' neutrality and independence, potentially influencing how international audiences and participating nations perceive the event's integrity.