Trump says Los Angeles will be ‘safe’ for 2028 Olympics  – NBC Los Angeles

After threatening to move the 2028 Summer Olympics from Los Angeles to another city over possible “unsafe conditions,” President Donald Trump hyped up the upcoming Games during Tuesday’s State of the Union speech.

About 20 minutes into his address, the president welcomed the U.S. men’s hockey team, congratulating them for beating a “fantastic Canadian team in overtime” and winning gold at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

“What special champions you are. Thank you very much,” Trump told Team USA.

The president then followed up by saying the next time the Olympic torch is lit, it’ll be in the United States.

“We’re going to do a good job in Los Angeles,” the president said. “Los Angeles is going to be safe, just like Washington D.C. is one of the safest cities in the country.”

As the entire chamber applauded, even Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar of the Inland Empire, a former member of the House Select Committee to investigate the January 6th attack on the Capitol, was seen getting up from his seat and clapping. 

The president also touted the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in the U.S., saying having the two large international events in the country is “exciting news.”

In response to Trump’s remarks, Mayor Bass’ office told NBC Los Angeles that the city is already safe.

“Facts matter: LA is safer than it’s been in decades, including declines in violent crime for the last two years and homicides at a 60-year low. We will be even safer when ICE is out of Los Angeles,” the mayor’s office said in a statement.

NBC4’s Conan Nolan speaks with Los Angeles Karen Bass about potential issues with President Donald Trump appointing himself as the head of the task force of the Los Angeles Olympics and running for re-election.

The latest comments came a few months after the president said he would consider stripping LA of its hosting duties if local officials do “a bad job.”

“If I thought LA was not going to be prepared properly, I would move it to another location, if I had to,” Trump said last October during an Oval Office news conference. 

The president also previously said he would push to ensure public safety during the Olympics, even if it means bringing in U.S. troops to Southern California.

“We’ll do anything necessary to keep the Olympics safe, including using our National Guard or military,” Trump said last August while signing an executive order to establish a federal task force for the 2028 Games. “I will use the National Guard or the military — this is going to be so safe — if we have to. You have a mayor who is not very competent.”

The Trump administration also began considering a proposal to require travelers from more than 40 countries to provide their social media histories from the last five years to enter the U.S., according to a notice published in the Federal Register last December. 

Although the U.S. women’s hockey team was not able to attend the State of the Union address due to scheduling conflicts, the president said the gold medalists will visit the White House “soon.”