Donald Trump's Verdict on Moving World Cup Games Amid DC Shooting
Donald Trump raised concerns about some American cities hosting World Cup matches ahead of the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in the American capital.
On Wednesday, two National Guard soldiers were shot in Washington DC during an attack that Trump has since described as "an act of terror".
The attack, which happened less than two blocks (approximately 200 to 600 metres) from the White House, left both soldiers in critical condition.
Thankfully, the suspect was quickly apprehended by a third national guard member, with Trump promising that they will pay 'the steepest possible price' for their actions.
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However, the fact that such a sudden and potentially deadly attack was able to happen in the American capital has led to concerns about the US hosting the World Cup next summer.
Across the summer of next year, 16 cities across North America will host World Cup fixtures including 11 in the USA.
But earlier this month, Trump raised concerns about some of the US World Cup host cities holding matches.
“The governors are going to have to behave. The mayors are going to have to behave,” Trump said.
“If we think there’s going to be any sign of any trouble, I would ask Gianni to move that to a different city. We have a lot of cities that would love to have it, No. 1, and we’ll do it very safely.”
Trump specifically named Los Angeles, which is set to host matches inside the 70,000 capacity Los Angeles Stadium, as a concerning host city due to crime rates.
“In the case of California, you have a problem. You have high crime and you have a place that just suffered great fires and everything else, and they didn’t do a very good job.
"So, here’s the story. I love Los Angeles. If they want help during this, I would love to send in the National Guard or whoever is necessary to help them. I want it to be great. I’d love it to be in Los Angeles. I love the place. It’s a natural for Los Angeles.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has become a close ally of Trump in recent years, backed up Trump's claims, assuring that security is the top priority, while not confirming if they would move games.
“Safety and security is the No. 1 priority for a successful World Cup,” Infantino said in response to Trump's comments.
“We can see today that people have trust in the United States. … They know that they will be coming here, and they will experience a safe and secure World Cup.
"Obviously we will, I mean, we will discuss. We are working together. We have a task force for this, and we must ensure that all fans coming from abroad or being here – they can experience a celebration of coming together, of the sport.”
Topics: Donald Trump, Gianni Infantino, FIFA World Cup, US Sports
Ben McCrum