Olympics president says not communicating with Trump as wildfires threaten 2028 LA Games
President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Thomas Bach says he is not communicating with President-elect Trump before leaving office later this year.
Bach told DPA International News he he congratulated Trump about the Republican election victory in November, but did not request any other communication beyond that.
“I don’t think it would be really fair or right, with respect to my successor, for me now to seek contact again and perhaps influence any decisions that will then be under my successor’s jurisdiction,” Bach said without speaking to Trump.
The IOC has its own presidential election in March, and Bach will leave office in June.
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Bach’s lack of communication with Trump comes as the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles have called into question Los Angeles’ viability as host of the 2028 Summer Olympics.
There are currently no plans to move the 2028 Games Los Angeles. The 2028 Games were to be the first in history where the host city would not have to build any new stadiums due to the number of stadiums and arenas in the city. But many of the areas where these sites are located have been decimated by fires.
Olympic facilities near the area affected by the fires include the Riviera Country Club, the Olympic Village, Pauley Pavilion and the Rose Bowl Stadium.
The Washburn Fire burns on a hillside in Yosemite National Park, California, on July 9, 2022. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
LA2028 President Casey Wasserman said in a statement that he is confident that Los Angeles will recover from the wildfires and that they will not undermine the Olympics.
“Los Angeles is defined by its resilience 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 shine brighter than ever before.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom told NBC News that the state is “organizing a Marshall Plan” to ensure the Olympics can still start in Los Angeles in 2028.
“President Donald Trump helped bring the Olympics to the United States of America – to be held here in LA. We thank him for that. This is an opportunity for him to shine, for this country to shine, for California and this community to shine “, Newsom said.
“That’s why we’re already organizing the Marshall Plan. We already have a team looking for, reimagining LA 2.0, and we’re making sure everyone is involved.”
However, some have criticized the prospect of the city hosting the Olympics amid what is predicted to be years of rebuilding.
Tail. 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 rightfully see how badly this country is run, how badly the governor and, of course, the mayor of Los Angeles have handled these tragic fires,” Jordan said.
Burnt buildings in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, as smoke from the Palisades fire rises in the background, in Los Angeles on January 10, 2025. (Reuters/Mike Blake)
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk has also proposed moving the Olympics from Los Angeles in 2028, suggesting either Dallas or Miami as the new host city.
“The Los Angeles Olympics should be canceled,” Kirk wrote on X. “If you can’t fill the hydrant, you’re not qualified to host the Olympics. Move them to Dallas or Miami, so the world’s athletes can compete in a place that’s actually capable of sure to build and run something.”
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Before the fire, Bach expressed confidence in Trump’s ability to lead the organization of the 2028 Olympics in early December.
“We are very confident in the steps and efforts that are being taken,” Bach told a news conference after the International Olympic Committee’s executive board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. “We’ve also seen President-elect Trump repeatedly state his support for the Games, which we never doubted because he’s expressed that support from the very beginning.”
Bach added that Olympic leaders are “very confident and relaxed” in working with Trump.
People look at smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on January 7, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)
Trump and Bach last met in June 2017 The white house when discussing trying to bring the Olympics back to Los Angeles. Trump took credit for securing the candidacy in 2028. However, Bach did not speak favorably of Trump after that first meeting.
“Pray for our world,” Bach was heard saying during a phone call later that day in Washington, DC
Now Trump will be tasked with leading America’s hosting of the Olympics after one of the worst disasters in the host city’s history. They will have to make decisions without consulting the current IOC president until a new one is chosen.
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