Did president trump get the World Cup and Olympics to be in the USA
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Executive summary
The United States was awarded the 2026 FIFA World Cup (jointly with Canada and Mexico) and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles through formal votes and bid campaigns carried out years before President Trump’s most recent term, and Trump has both claimed credit and taken executive actions to shape federal involvement in preparing for those events; reporting shows he played a supportive role but did not unilaterally “get” the tournaments for the U.S. [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. How the World Cup and Olympics were actually awarded
The 2026 World Cup was won by the United States/Canada/Mexico bid in a 2018 FIFA vote and Los Angeles won the 2028 Olympic bid in 2017, outcomes determined by FIFA and the International Olympic Committee membership votes and bid processes rather than by a U.S. president alone [1] [2].
2. What role Trump and the federal government played in those bids
Contemporary reporting and government material show the Trump White House provided targeted support for the bids: his administration offered formal guarantees and behind-the-scenes engagement that bid leaders say helped reduce member nations’ concerns about visas, security and federal backing, and White House accounts credit Trump with a “pivotal role” in backing Los Angeles’ Olympic bid [1] [5] [2].
3. Claims of personal credit versus institutional reality
President Trump has publicly and repeatedly asserted he “got” the World Cup and Olympics for the United States and has boasted about that achievement in speeches and interviews, but multiple outlets caution that such claims overstate a single-person credit because international federations and local organizing committees conduct the bidding and voting [3] [6] [2].
4. Actions after becoming president: task forces, orders and funding
Once back in office, Trump moved to institutionalize federal coordination and oversight: he signed executive orders establishing White House task forces for the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics to coordinate security, transportation and intergovernmental work (White House fact sheets and coverage), and legislative measures during his administration included approximately $1.46 billion in federal funding earmarked for security related to both events [4] [5] [7] [8].
5. Why organizers still needed international federations and local hosts
Even with White House engagement, the ultimate authority over where matches and venues are placed rests with FIFA, the IOC and local organizing bodies, which require guarantees—security plans, visa facilitation and infrastructure commitments—that national governments supply but do not unilaterally decide for the federations’ votes [2] [1].
6. Critics, supporters and political context
Supporters and some coverage credit Trump’s administration with helpful, practical steps—letters, guarantees and federal coordination—that smoothed the bids [1] [5], while critics and investigative commentators say his personal claims risk overstating influence and redirect public credit from the long campaigns run by local and international officials; independent outlets also highlight concerns about how federal policies tied to the administration (immigration, security posture) could complicate hosting responsibilities [6] [9] [10].
7. Bottom line: did he “get” them?
Factually, the tournaments were awarded through established FIFA and IOC bidding and voting processes in which the U.S.-linked bids prevailed prior to or independent of unilateral presidential action, but the Trump administration did intervene and support those bids with guarantees, public advocacy and later executive coordination—so he assisted and later asserted ownership, but did not single-handedly “get” the World Cup and Olympics for the United States [1] [2] [4] [3].