footballTrump again threatens to withdraw US cities from World Cup matches
US President Donald Trump (L) threatens to postpone the match, FIFA President Gianni Infantino is cautious.
Evan Vucci/AP/dpa
US President Donald Trump used the World Cup for political pressure and once again threatened cities with cancellation of matches. He had two specific cities he was targeting.
US President Donald Trump has again threatened democratically run cities by canceling World Cup matches. Addressing the world association’s chairman, Gianni Infantino, the 79-year-old Republican cited security concerns at the White House and specifically targeted Los Angeles and Seattle.
“In the case of California, we have a problem. Crime is very high and the state has just experienced devastating fires and other disasters and the authorities have not done a good job,” Trump said. And further: “I love Los Angeles. If you need help in this situation, I would be happy to send the National Guard or other necessary troops.”
The state of California with the metropolitan city of Los Angeles is governed by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, Trump’s political opponent. “Governors must behave. Mayors must behave,” Trump demanded. Regarding Seattle’s Democratic Mayor Katie Wilson, he said: “If we had the slightest suspicion of trouble, I would ask Gianni to move the event to another city.”
Infantino reacted cautiously
Infantino reacted cautiously to the US President’s statement. Safety is the top priority for a successful World Cup, explained the Swiss. “We see that now people are putting their trust in the United States,” Infantino said. This is of course the government’s responsibility. He did not discuss the possibility of moving the game to cities other than the eleven selected cities in the US.
Trump did not respond specifically to the question of when the move to another city should take place at the latest. The Republican has claimed for months that crime in some American cities is out of control and can only be controlled with his help. Crime statistics do not support this claim.
Next summer, the United States along with Mexico and Canada will host the largest World Cup in history with 48 participating countries. The draw will take place on December 5 in the US capital, Washington.
