Olympics president says not talking to Trump as wildfires threaten 2028 LA Games
The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach says he is not talking to President-elect Trump before leaving office at the end of this year.
Bach told DPA International News that he congratulated Trump on winning the Republican election in November but never sought any further communication.
“I don’t think it would be right or fair, in terms of my successor, to want to communicate with him again and maybe influence any decisions that are there for my successor,” Bach said without speaking to Trump.
The IOC has its own presidential election in March with Bach stepping down in June.
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Bach’s lack of communication with Trump comes as the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles cast doubt on Los Angeles’ hosting of the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Currently, there are no plans to move the 2028 Games to Los Angeles. The 2028 games would be the first in history where the host city would not have to build new stadiums due to the abundance of stadiums and arenas in the city. But most of the places where those places are located have been destroyed by fire.
Olympic venues near the areas affected by the fire include the Riviera Country Club, Olympic Village, Pauley Pavilion and Rose Bowl Stadium.
The Washburn Fire burns on a hillside in Yosemite National Park, Calif., July 9, 2022. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
The Chairman of LA2028, Casey Wasserman, said in a statement that he hopes that Los Angeles will face the wildfires and that they will not destroy the Olympics.
“Los Angeles is defined by its grit and determination,” Wasserman said. “The strength of our communities and our unity in difficult times make this city extraordinary, and when Los Angeles welcomes the world in 2028, our spirit will be brighter than ever.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom told NBC News that the state is “planning a Marshall Plan” to ensure that the Olympics can start in Los Angeles in 2028.
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“President Donald Trump was instrumental in getting the Olympics to the United States of America – to bring them down here in LA. We thank him for that. This is his chance to shine, for this country to shine, for California and this community to shine,” Newsom said.
“That’s why we’re already planning the Marshall Plan. We’ve got a team looking at it, rethinking LA 2.0, and making sure everyone is included.”
However, the prospect of the city being able to host the Olympics during what is supposed to be years of rebuilding has been criticized by some.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said in an interview with Newsmax that he believes the Olympics should be moved to a Republican-controlled city and state.
“I think the American people should see how badly this state is being managed, how these tragic fires were not handled by the governor and the mayor of Los Angeles,” said Jordan.
Charred buildings in the Pacific Palisades area, as smoke from the Palisades Fire rises in the background in Los Angeles Jan. 10, 2025. (Reuters/Mike Blake)
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk has also suggested that the Olympics be moved from Los Angeles in 2028, suggesting Dallas or Miami as the new host city.
“The Los Angeles Olympics should be cancelled,” Kirk wrote on X. “If you can’t fill a fire extinguisher, you don’t deserve to host the Olympics. Take it to Dallas, or Miami, so the world’s athletes can compete. In a place that can build and run something safely.”
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Before the fire, Bach expressed confidence in Trump’s ability to lead the planning of the 2028 Olympics in early December.
“We are very confident there in terms of the steps and efforts being made,” Bach said at a press conference after the meeting of the International Olympic Committee’s executive board in Lausanne, Switzerland. “We have also seen that President-elect Trump has repeatedly announced that he supports these games, which we have never had doubts about because he has announced this support from the beginning.”
Bach added that Olympic leaders are “very confident and comfortable” working with Trump.
People look at smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades area Jan. 7, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)
Trump and Bach last met in June 2017 at the White House when they discussed a bid to return the Olympics to Los Angeles. Trump took credit for securing the 2028 bid. However, Bach did not speak favorably of Trump after that first meeting.
“Pray for our world,” Bach was heard saying by cell phone later that day in Washington, DC
Now, Trump will have the task of leading the United States in hosting the Olympics after one of the worst disasters in the city’s history. He will have to take decisions without consulting the IOC president who is sitting until a new one is elected.
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