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Ex-president Trump has yet again announced he would influence FIFA to pull global soccer tournament matches from a designated city based on municipal political climate, with the Boston region emerging as the most recent such city to face such statements from the American leader. Moreover, Trump suggested he would consider comparable measures against LA for the 2028 Summer Games due to possible public safety risks.

Jurisdictional Limits and Informal Leverage

Although Trump lacks formal power to personally cancel either event, he can apply pressure the international organizations in charge of each event to move venues.

Setting for Statements

His comments were made during a media briefing with Argentina's leader Milei, who was at the White House following the disclosure of a massive financial assistance for the Argentine economy. Near the close of the event, a media member questioned Trump about a recent unauthorized gathering in Boston where authorities were targeted and a cruiser was burned. The journalist also wondered if such events could cause the revocation of hosting duties for the 48-team soccer tournament.

“We could take them away,” Trump said about the soccer fixtures, set to be held at the Massachusetts arena. “She is not good … they're radical left, and activists are occupying sections of Boston. That’s a significant statement, right?”

Public Gatherings and Public Safety Concerns

Street takeovers, a social media-driven phenomenon where groups of people assemble on urban roads after dark to conduct vehicular acrobatics, have been a repeated nuisance in American cities since the Covid-19 pandemic closures. Latest similar events have escalated into violence in Massachusetts, notably in downtown. Nevertheless, these occurrences are usually not regarded as tied to any specific ideological group.

“In cases where a city is doing a bad job, and I believe there’s security risks, I would call the organization's president, who is phenomenal, and tell him let’s move it to an alternate venue,” he stated publicly. “He will do that. He might not prefer doing it, but he’d do it. Without hesitation, he'd comply.”

Organizational Alignment

The organization's head has publicly acknowledged his efforts to be publicly aligned with the former president before next year’s tournament, scheduled to be staged in multiple US locations across the United States along with several in Canada and multiple in Mexico. The head has participated at several Oval Office gatherings, arranged for Trump present the Club World Cup trophy after that tournament’s final, and has even delayed his the group's assembly to join Trump on a trip to the Middle East earlier in 2025.

Past Statements

Nevertheless, Trump from threatening the removal of soccer matches from additional American venues. In late September, Seattle and the Bay Area metropolis came under parallel statements, with Trump stating both urban centers were “led by ideological activists who lack understanding what they’re doing,” while criticizing the safety level of both locales and implying that matches could be relocated.

Organizational Statement

Victor Montagliani rebuffed Trump’s statements when he reacted subsequently at a conference in London.

“This is our competition, our responsibility, the organization determines those decisions,” Montagliani declared. “With all due respect to national heads, soccer is more important than them and the game will survive their regime and their government. That’s the strength of our game, that it is bigger than one leader and bigger than any country.”

LA Games Warning

Similarly, Trump’s response to a inquiry about the Massachusetts city veered into a comparable warning regarding the upcoming Summer Games.

“When I believed the city was not going to be sufficiently organized, I'd relocate it to a different city as needed,” he remarked. “Regarding that event I might have to obtain a different kind of consent, but we'd do that.”

Official consent Trump refers to would need to come via the IOC. The leader, the newly elected president, was elected to her role in March and has yet to appear together with the former president, but she said that she hopes for a meeting with Trump at some point.

Other Remarks

Trump also condemned Gavin Newsom’s handling of recent blazes, stating that a comparable scenario could cause the removal of the event.

“If Newsom is uncooperative, we’re gonna have to be very tough,” Trump commented.

His message was equally direct for Boston.

“The city better clean up their act,” he remarked. “That is my message.”