Apr 27, 2018; Washington, DC, USA; President Donald Trump holds gift signed flags at a ceremony honoring Team USA Olympic and Paralympic athletes from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on the North Portico at the White House. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles, California – President Trump will sign an executive order on Tuesday establishing a White House task force to oversee federal involvement in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The move, confirmed by the White House on Monday, signals a growing federal role in security, logistics, and immigration policy ahead of the international event.
The task force, first reported by Reuters, will coordinate federal agencies in areas such as transportation, visa processing, and event security. The Department of Homeland Security has already designated the Olympics a National Special Security Event, placing the FBI, Secret Service, and other federal entities in key planning roles.
While the Olympic Games remain five years away, preparations are already well underway in Los Angeles. However, tensions between the Trump administration and local leaders—including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass—could complicate coordination. Neither Newsom nor Bass had commented publicly on the task force as of Monday evening.
In a statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized the president’s long-standing involvement with the games, calling the 2028 Olympics “a great honor” and pointing to Trump’s earlier support for the city’s Olympic bid during his first term. The executive order will further cement Trump’s influence over one of the world’s most prominent sporting events, hosted in a city that has often clashed with his administration on issues ranging from immigration enforcement to transgender rights.
Casey Wasserman, chair of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, welcomed the move. “On behalf of LA28, I want to express our deep appreciation to President Trump and his Administration,” he said, praising the task force as a critical step in preparing for the “largest and most ambitious” Olympic Games the U.S. has ever hosted.
Federal involvement in large-scale sporting events is not unprecedented. Trump already chairs a similar task force for the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico. His administration has also committed $1 billion through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to support Olympic security and planning, in addition to $625 million for the World Cup.
Still, the backdrop to the 2028 games is complex. Los Angeles is contending with budget shortfalls and recovery from two destructive wildfires that tore through Pacific Palisades and Altadena in January. Meanwhile, legal challenges remain over federal immigration enforcement actions in Southern California, further straining cooperation between city leaders and federal agencies.
The 2028 Summer Games will be the first held in the U.S. since Atlanta hosted in 1996. Venues will span Southern California, with events in Long Beach, Inglewood, and Arcadia. Some competitions, including softball and canoe slalom, will be held in Oklahoma City.
Los Angeles previously hosted the Olympics in 1932 and 1984. The 2028 Games are expected to bring more than 10,000 athletes and tens of thousands of international visitors to the region.
