LOS ANGELES (KABC) — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to create a new task force dedicated to overseeing the 2028 Summer Olympics scheduled to take place in Los Angeles.
President Trump has expressed that the 2028 Games are among the events he eagerly anticipates in his second term. He will act as the chair of this newly established task force.
The order mandates the task force to handle security, planning, and streamline visa processing and credentialing for those attending, including athletes, coaches, media, and other guests.
Such a task force isn’t necessarily unheard of, but is usually led on a local level.
“We are committed to ensuring the Olympics are safe, using resources like our National Guard or military if needed,” Trump said. “The National Guard or military will be involved to guarantee safety if necessary.”
Last month, Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” was signed into law, allocating $1 billion for security, planning, and other expenses for the 2028 Olympics.
From baseball at Dodger Stadium to volleyball in Anaheim, LA28 has released its list of venues chosen for the 2028 Olympic Games.
“Regarding the 2028 Summer Olympics, the entire federal government will be involved to ensure the games are safe, seamless, and historically memorable. It’s going to be extraordinary,” Trump said. “America, a nation of champions, will show the world our prowess in July 2028, delivering unparalleled performance. We’re achieving unprecedented success.”
Vice President JD Vance will serve as vice chair. Other members include Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
This comes as city leaders continue negotiations with LA28 over the use of police and traffic officers, as well as other employees that may be needed during the Olympics.
At the event, Trump praised Gene Sykes, chair of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee board of directors, for the USOPC’s move to effectively bar transgender women from competing in women’s sports.
“The United States will not let men steal trophies from women at the 2028 Olympics,” Trump said.
He questioned why he didn’t hear applause from the room when he praised Sykes for it, and then received some claps from some people in the room.
Trump “considers it a great honor to oversee this global sporting spectacle,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, calling sports one of the president’s “greatest passions.”
LA28 president and chair Casey Wasserman said the task force “marks an important step forward in our planning efforts and reflects our shared commitment to delivering not just the biggest, but the greatest Games the world has ever seen in the summer of 2028.”
“You leaned into the process back then, and you’ve been supportive and helpful every step of the way, and we wouldn’t be here without you, so we greatly appreciate it,” Wasserman said to Trump.
Along with the 2028 Summer Games, Trump has said that the 2026 FIFA World Cup being hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico is among the events he’s most looking forward to in his second term.
In preparation for next year’s competition, the governments of all three countries on Tuesday said they had held the first meeting of a trilateral coordinating council of government officials, industry leaders and security professionals discussing a variety of issues, including preparedness for any security threats ahead of the World Cup.
After ICE raids in Southern California, some say the games should not be held in L.A. because they feel local officials should not work with the Trump administration. The mayor believes the two sides can work together.
“The trump administration had said from the beginning that they were very excited about the games, they wanted to see the games come here, play a significant role, so it is my hope that this will be indicative of a very strong partnership that we will have as we move forward to 2028,” L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said.
Security experts say the Games will require huge security and will bring in federal police and other agencies to work with local law enforcement.
“The last thing you want to do is to have politics play a role in the Olympics, and I know sometimes it happens, but the fact that the federal government will be become involved be part of the task force and bring those resources to the table is going to be a force multiplier for the city and for LAPD,” said retired Chief Jarrod Burguan with San Bernardino police.
The 2028 Games will be the first Olympics to be hosted by the U.S. since the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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