Trump establishes a task force for the 2028 Olympic Games.
In recent developments, U.S. President Donald Trump has established a task force for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. This task force, which includes FIFA President Gianni Infantino, will coordinate measures by federal, state, and local authorities in areas such as security and transportation.
The task force is not the first time Trump has shown interest in sports. A year before the FIFA World Cup, Trump last attended a major sporting event in the U.S., the Club World Cup final in New York. However, his appearance at the award ceremony for Chelsea FC caused some controversy.
Meanwhile, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has made headlines for a different reason. The current status of the USOPC's transgender athlete policy is that transgender women are barred from competing in women's categories for U.S. teams in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This policy change was implemented in mid-2025, following a revision of the USOPC's Athlete Safety Policy.
The USOPC's rationale for this policy is that, as a federally chartered organization, it is obligated to comply with federal mandates. The committee cites President Trump's Executive Order 14201 ("Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports") as the basis for their policy update. The policy avoids using the word "transgender" directly but implies the exclusion of transgender women from female sports divisions.
This policy has been met with strong criticism, particularly from transgender advocacy groups such as Lambda Legal. Lambda Legal characterizes the USOPC’s move as "cowardice personified" and discriminatory, accusing the committee of failing to consider scientific evidence or the impact on transgender athletes. Lambda Legal's counsel says the USOPC's compliance with the Trump administration's executive order serves to appease political pressures at the expense of transgender athletes' rights and inclusion.
Individual sports bodies like USA Fencing are adapting their policies to align with this federal mandate while attempting to maintain inclusivity where possible.
Los Angeles will host the Olympics for the second time in history, with the Summer Games being among the events Trump is most looking forward to during his second term. The Olympic torch relay will pass through all 50 states of the United States, marking a significant event for the nation.
Casey Wasserman, chairman of the LA 2028 organizing committee, praised the establishment of the task force. Trump, at the ceremony for the Olympic task force, said, "It's a great time to be a sports fan in America." However, growing concerns persist that athletes from certain countries might be prevented from participating in the Summer Games due to the Trump administration's tightened immigration policies.
In summary, President Trump’s executive order has had a decisive influence on the USOPC’s transgender athlete policy, prompting the ban and eliciting considerable backlash from civil rights groups and supporters of transgender athlete participation.
The following development showcases President Trump's involvement in politics extending beyond sports; his Executive Order 14201 influences the USOPC's transgender athlete policy, compelling the barring of transgender women from female sports divisions. On a different note, the task force for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, of which FIFA President Gianni Infantino is a part, focuses on coordinating measures for the Games.
