President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the federal government may need to assert itself in Los Angeles when the soccer World Cup takes place this summer, telling reporters in the Oval Office that officials would "have to force ourselves upon them" to avoid crime and other problems.
"We’re gonna have to do something when it comes World Cup time, and we’re gonna have to force ourselves upon them, which we have the right to do, because we don’t want to have any crime, we don’t want to have any problems," the president said.
Trump framed the potential action as a preventive step tied to public safety. He has pointed to a broader pattern of law-and-order responses in multiple cities, including a prior mobilization of federal personnel to the nation’s capital. In that instance, the president mobilized hundreds of federal agents and thousands of soldiers to Washington, a move he has referenced in describing his approach to crime in other municipalities.
The World Cup, one of the world’s largest sporting events, is scheduled for June and July and will be staged across three countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico. Los Angeles is among the U.S. locations that will host matches.
Requests for comment sent to spokespeople for the Los Angeles mayor and for California’s governor did not receive immediate responses.
The president’s remarks raise questions about the potential role of federal authorities at large public events and how that role might intersect with local and state officials. In his statement, Mr. Trump emphasized a desire to prevent crime and disruptions during the tournament, and he invoked federal authority as a justification for possible intervention.
No additional details about specific plans, timing, or the scope of any federal presence were provided in the president’s comments. The comments rest on the stated intent to act if deemed necessary to avoid crime and problems during the World Cup period.
Summary
The president said the federal government may need to "force ourselves upon" Los Angeles during the World Cup to prevent crime, citing prior federal mobilizations to Washington. The tournament is set for June and July across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Local and state spokespeople did not immediately reply to requests for comment.