Politics
NEW: Trump Threatens To Pull World Cup Games From Blue City Over Crime Concerns
President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that he will work to remove Fifa World Cup games from Boston if the city’s mayor, Michelle Wu, fails to improve public safety and crack down on crime.
The suggestion came while Trump was taking questions from reporters during a meeting with Argentinian President Javier Milei. While stressing that he would not want to take the games away from the people of Boston, the president stated that he will have no choice but to call FIFA President Gianni Infantino to have the games moved to cities if public safety issues are not addressed.
“We can take them away. I love the people of Boston. And I know the games are sold out, but the mayor is not good. There are worse than her. At least she’s intelligent. You know, some are extremely low IQ. Those bother me more. She’s intelligent, but she’s radical left,” Trump said.
“The answer is yes, if somebody’s doing a bad job, and if I feel there’s unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni, the head of FIFA, who’s phenomenal, and I would say, ‘Let’s move it to another location,’ and he would do that. He wouldn’t love to do it, but he’d do it, very easily he’d do it. And this is the right time to do it.”
The announcement came in response to an incident in which at least 100 individuals gathered at an intersection in Boston’s South End for a violent “street takeover” that included reckless driving, burnouts, and racing that blocked traffic. When Boston police arrived to disperse the group, the crowd turned violent, throwing fireworks, cones, poles, and other objects at officers and cruisers.
One occupied police vehicle caught fire after one of the rioters tossed a firework inside it. The officer inside managed to escape without serious injuries.
Just two Rhode Island men were arrested for their roles in the unrest: 18-year-old Julian Bowers of Cumberland for throwing objects and assaulting officers, and 19-year-old William Cantwell of Warwick for smashing a cruiser with a pole.
Massachusetts is set to host a number of fixtures during the FIFA World Cup in 2026, which is set to be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States. This includes six group stage matches, one in the round of 32, and the first quarterfinal matchup on July 9.
Trump added that he would also consider pulling the 2028 Summer Olympics out of Los Angeles for similar reasons. “I could say the same thing for the Olympics,” he said. “If I thought LA was not going to be prepared properly, I’d move it to another location.”
