For past Olympic games held in the US, sitting presidents have served in passive, ceremonial roles. However, President Trump has hinted at other plans for the LA 2028 Olympics.
On August 5th, Trump signed an executive order outlining a general framework for an Olympic task force, appointing himself as the chair and the Vice President as the vice chair.
While the President has historically played a role in the Olympic games, it has historically been ceremonial and passive. In the moments after signing the executive order, Trump hinted at military involvement in the Games.
Learn more about the plan for the upcoming Olympics, the military, and how involved presidents have been in the past.
Planning for the LA 2028 Olympics
The LA 28 Board began planning the LA 2028 Olympics when they won the bid in 2017. The focus has been on utilizing existing venues within the LA area while also determining if new facilities need to be constructed.
Because of the different venues within the LA area, the goal is to utilize them without the need to build new structures. Almost all sporting events have already been assigned a location, and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) will be utilizing their campus as the Olympic Village.
A secondary focus has been on ways to decrease traffic in a city that has long been known for traffic congestion. In anticipation of hosting the 2028 Games, the Metro Board approved a list of 28 projects, totaling $20 billion and targeted for delivery by 2028. Currently, 29% of the projects have been completed with all the other projects in various stages of development.
LA28 Chairman, Casey Wasserman, attended the event announcing the Olympic Task Force at the White House and praised the President for leaning in, “You’ve been supportive and helpful every step of the way,” Wasserman said, noting that the Games would amount to hosting seven Super Bowls a day for 30 days.
“With the creation of this task force, we’ve unlocked the opportunity to level up our planning and deliver the largest, and yes, greatest Games for our nation, ever.”
The Olympic Task Force Will Be Focused on Security
President Trump’s task force will focus on security. In comments he made after signing the Executive Order, Trump said that he would send back the National Guard to LA if needed in order to help protect the games. The task force will work with federal, state and local partners on security and transportation.
In both the 1996 Atlanta Games and 2002 Salt Lake City Games the federal government played an important role in helping to enhance security for the Olympic games.
Formalizing a task force focused on security could help finalize the current negotiations between LA officials and the LA28 Olympic committee that must be completed before October 1, 2025. LA28 must reimburse LA for costs incurred beyond regular daily operations.
Another aspect outlined by the executive order for the task force will be to, “assist in the planning and implementation of the visa processing and credentialing programs of foreign athletes, coaches, official and media personnel" The task force, to be housed within the Department of Homeland Security.
President Trump also sees the games as, “a premier opportunity to showcase American exceptionalism,” according to a White House statement. Trump, the administration said, “is taking every opportunity to showcase American greatness on the world stage.”
History of Past Presidential Involvement in the Olympics
The Olympics have been held in the United States 8 times. The LA 2028 Olympics will be the 9th occasion.
- 1904, St. Louis Summer Olympics
- 1932, Lake Placid Winter Olympics
- 1932, LA Summer Olympics
- 1960, Squaw Valley Winter Olympics
- 1980, Lake Placid Winter Olympics
- 1984, LA Summer Olympics
- 1996, Atlanta Summer Olympics
- 2002, Salt Lake City Winter Olympics
The role of the President in the past Olympics has been limited, while the federal government has often played a role when focused on security.
While the Olympic Charter requires the head of state to open the Olympic Games, most often it has been passed down to another state official representing the President.
Ronald Regan was the first President to open the Olympic Ceremonies at the 1984 LA Olympics.
In 1996, President Bill Clinton urged the games to continue after the bombing in Centennial Olympic Park happened, killing only one person due to the quick thinking of Security Guard Richard Jewell who found the bomb in a backpack and started to evacuate the area, 111 people were injured.
President Franklin Delanor Roosevelt opened the Lake Placid games in 1932, but he was the governor of New York where the games were being held and wouldn’t be elected president until nine months later.
President Nixon also opened an Olympic games. He opened the 1960 Squaw Valley Games, but he was serving as Vice President when the games took place.
Trump Hints at Military Involvement
While speaking at the White House, Trump said that he would send the military back to Los Angeles if he chose so, in order top protect the Olympic Games.
According to a statement released by the White House, Trump views the games as "a premier opportunity to showcase American exceptionalism." Additionally, the Trump administration said that Trump is, "taking every opportunity to showcase American greatness on the world stage."
In June, Trump sent the National Guard and U.S. Marines to LA amid widespread immigration enforcement actions, despite receiving pushback from the mayor and other local officials.
In regards to the probability of Trump deploying the National Guard, Trump said, "We'll do anything necessary to keep the Olympics safe, including using our National Guard or military, OK?"
He went on to say, "I will use the National Guard or the military. This is going to be so safe. If we have to."
Trump's latest executive order establishes a task force that will help steer federal coordination for the Olympic Games. According to the White House, the task force will be working with federal, state, and local partners to ensure security and transportation related to the Games.
Past Tension with LA
In June, President Trump sent the National Guard and U.S. Marines to downtown LA to help with the protests projected toward ICE that had continued to grow with increased violence.
The National Guard, with the support of the LA Police Department, were able to curb the protests and have since left the LA area. Both California Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Base condemned the actions of the President.
The President also had a rocky relationship with Mayor Karen Bass after the LA fires in January took place, and residents held a town hall meeting with the president and mayor working to get homeowners back to their property after the fires.
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