The United States Can No Longer Safely Host the 2028 Olympics

We Should Push for the Olympics to be Relocated from Los Angeles to a Different Country

Pushing for relocation of the 2028 LA Olympics, from the US to a different country, may initially seem like a remote and unimportant battle, in the face of the current assault on our freedoms. But it is quickly becoming evident that the United States, by 2028, will no longer be able to safely host a collection of diverse athletes and dignitaries from around the world on our soil. And the moment to insist on a location change is now….not in two years, when sponsorships and logistics are no longer malleable.

Trump mentioned the Olympics multiple times during his recent Memorial Day speech at Arlington, gloating, “I have everything….I got the World Cup and I got the Olympics”. But he assuredly views both events as a platform to leverage his own financial and political gain, propagate his hateful agenda, and promote himself. Knowing how obsessed Trump is with presiding over the events makes the fight for relocation of the Olympics even more important. And keep in mind that the decision to relocate the Olympics from LA would happen in the next year, not down the road in 2028.

The Safety of Foreign Athletes and Delegations Will be Jeopardized in LA in 2028

Travel to the United States may place foreigners in jeopardy. Recommendations for travel to the United States have already been altered by several countries to contain warnings about human rights violations and US government instability….those countries include France, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Finland, United Kingdom, Belgium, Portugal, and Ireland. Prior to January 20, 2025, these were some of our closest allies.

Some foreign nationals have been denied entry to the country since Trump took office, after phone searches at the airport revealed messages critical of the Trump regime. German citizens (even with US green cards) have already been strip-searched, and detained in solitary confinement for up to two months, upon attempted re-entry to the United States. By 2028, Trump will very likely attempt to deny entry to any athletes and their family members who have expressed disagreement with his authoritarian regime or anger with the Israeli government.

If athletes and delegations who oppose Trump’s regime do manage to clear customs, their movements and social media activity will undoubtedly be monitored during the Games. Subsequent attempts may be made to harass or disparage them, and possibly even disqualify them based on what the Trump regime claims is a “threat”. Athletes who speak out against Trump or express things like LGBTQ pride may just be told to leave the country if they cannot “respect America”.

Lashing Out by Trump Against Our Own US Athletes, as Well as Those from Other Countries

The Olympic Games have traditionally been an event where American or foreign athletes can use their platform to shine a light on injustice occurring around the world, but Trump and his followers have harshly criticized athletes who peacefully and symbolically protested the United States government in the past. By 2028, an unrestrained Trump regime could possibly take steps well beyond criticism.

When the National Football League’s Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the US national anthem in 2016, to protest the ongoing oppression of minorities in America, Donald Trump ranted, “I think it’s a terrible thing. And you know, maybe he should find a country that works better for him”. In 2028, would that look like detention and attempted deportation for “treason”?

When US Olympian Gwen Berry turned away from the flag during the US national anthem in 2021, as a gesture against racial and social injustice, Republican legislators questioned her eligibility to compete on the US team. Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) mused, “We don’t need any more activist athletes. Berry should be removed from the team…the bare minimum requirement is that you believe in the country [you’re] representing.” In 2028, that would almost certainly entail removal from the team and possible federal charges.

We have also seen Trump insult, and tell lies about, foreign Olympic athletes to whip up anger from his base. In 2024, he accused two female boxing gold-medal winners of having transitioned from male to female, repeatedly misgendering Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan and Imane Khalif of Algeria (and he continues to do so to this day), despite evidence they were born and raised female.

As despicable as those verbal attacks were, the athletes remained physically safe in Paris at the time. That would likely change with athletes on US soil in 2028. Trump’s attack could mean that athletes would be subject to strip-searches, gender inspection, intimidation, or detention to prevent their participation.

The Olympics as a Propaganda Platform and Leverage Tool

In1936, the Olympic Games were held in Berlin, Germany, during the rise of the Nazi regime. Hitler utilized the event as a propaganda bonanza, hanging Swastikas next to Olympic flags in prominent locations in Berlin. Although international pressure leading up to those 1936 Games forced the early-regime Nazis to downplay the extent of their racist agenda (by hiding anti-Jewish signs and reluctantly permitting one Jewish citizen to participate on a German team), the signs of fascism were still evident.

Colorful posters displayed only athletes with Aryan features, to promote the myth of Aryan racial superiority and athletic prowess. All German medal winners (including the lone Jew who was allowed to participate for Germany in the sport of fencing) performed the Nazi salute from the podium. Who doesn’t think that Trump will have banners hanging all over LA with his likeness and MAGA gear for sale at every venue?

In addition to propaganda, Trump will likely attempt to utilize control over the athletes’ eligibility to participate, as leverage to gain favors. He may threaten to ban or disqualify athletes of those countries who resist acquiescing to his demands concerning a separate financial or social issue. He has already proven a willingness to initiate unprovoked punitive tariffs against other governments, and has threatened to annex Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal without cause. Trump does not care who he hurts….and in 2028, that will be the athletes.

If the Olympics are allowed to proceed in LA as planned, other countries and sponsors also may feel compelled to boycott, as Trump escalates his flagrant violations of human and international rights. Just as it did when many countries boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, a boycott would be devastating for the many athletes who have devoted their lives to training for a chance to compete. Giving Trump this international platform will create potential scenarios like the above and would be a major mistake….but it is one that is still avoidable.

Precedent Already Exists for Relocation of the Olympics

The 1976 Winter Olympics, originally set to take place in Denver, Colorado, was relocated to Innsbruck, Austria, due to financial issues and public opposition. Selected in 1970 as the Olympic host city, Denver planned extensive infrastructure changes. As projected costs escalated, the public increasingly opposed the endeavor, which many felt detracted funds from public programs and social obligations.

Four years before the Games were to begin, a statewide referendum was held and voters rejected funding for the games. Denver officials were forced to withdraw from hosting the Olympic Games and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) then put out a call for bids from other countries willing to host. Innsbruck, a previous host of the Winter Olympics in 1964, was chosen as the alternate, as existing facilities allowed a relatively smooth transition.

Much of today’s Olympic funding is provided by private investors and sponsorships, so it is not clear that pressure on the California Congress would be the most effective method of defunding the. Public pressure could be applied to the corporations that will likely provide sponsorships, such as Coca-Cola, Visa, Toyota, Samsung, Procter & Gamble, and Intel. But knowing that financial interests often outweigh every other interest for large corporations, this course of action may not be the most effective route.

The International Olympic Committee Has the Authority To Make the Call

A much more potent approach, to achieve relocation of the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, may be for citizens to directly contact the IOC en masse. Although relocating an already-awarded Olympics is considered an extreme move, the IOC may realize that drastic times call for drastic measures. The IOC does have the authority to withdraw an award given to a host location….if the location has “significant political or social issues” that threaten the safety of athletes or the integrity of the games, such as governmental instability.

Kirsty Coventry, the newly elected IOC President scheduled to take over in June, has vowed, "We will not waver from our values… ensuring every athlete that qualifies for the Olympic Games has the possibility to attend the Olympic Games and be safe". We would hope that sentiment leads to the withdrawal of the Olympics from a host country that has descended precipitously into authoritarianism and has a high likelihood of becoming a military state by 2028.

Initiating a relocation in 2025 would allow time for the IOC and another host city to address logistical concerns about venues, timing, financial support, and athlete training and travel. A return of the Olympics to Paris (the 2024 host) would be an terrific option (if Paris was agreeable), as pre-existing venues would preclude exorbitant infrastructure cost and development. Tokyo, who successfully hosted the prior summer Olympic Games, would also be a great option for a city with already-built venues.

We can presume that the IOC already feels increasingly uncomfortable about the heightening volatility and illegality of US policy, meaning a significant public campaign to relocate the Olympics may be enough to bring the question to a vote among the committee. By doing so, we could better assure the safety and respect for human rights of our athletes, and strip bragging rights from Trump at the same time.

Regardless of the eventual location for 2028, the IOC could honor the newly-coined term for Trump’s trade policies and approach to negotiating, by reaching out to Taco Bell to become a major sponsor.

The International Olympic Committee can be reached via email at:

https://support.olympics.com/hc/en-gb/requests/new

Feel free to copy and paste the above article (or even better….write your own comments) into the comment section of the form….add your name and email and hit send!

Or reach the IOC by snail mail at: International Olympic Committee, Maison Olympique, 1007 Lausanne, Switzerland