President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to make a “radical change” in government spending has raised concerns about Los Angeles’ effort to host the 2028 Summer Olympics.
The private LA28 organizing committee has promised to cover the main cost of the Games, at an estimated $6.9 billion, through corporate sponsorships and other revenues. But federal officials are expected to provide substantial help with related expenses.
Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security designated the 17-day competition as a National Special Security Event. The Secret Service, which will take a lead role, called it “a huge undertaking” and costs are expected to be $1 billion to $2 billion.
The city also has been using the Olympics as a catalyst in seeking federal funds for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s $3.3-billion wish list of infrastructure projects.
Now, with Trump naming entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to a new Department of Government Efficiency, there are questions about the White House’s willingness to chip in. Musk, in particular, has talked about finding $2 trillion in cuts.
LA28 leaders said they are not worried.
“That’s the nature of the world we live in,” LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman said. “We’ve had great success with both Republican and Democratic administrations, and we have no doubt that will continue.”
The city’s pursuit of a third Olympics has stretched for so long that it overlaps with Trump’s first term. During a 2020 visit to Southern California, the then- and future-president met with organizers.
“We’re going to give them tremendous support,” Trump said. “You need the support of the federal government to make it really work.”
The 2028 Summer Games will also require the State Dept. to process thousands of last-minute visas for foreign athletes and coaches. Some national teams will be arriving from countries that have strained relations with the U.S.
City Councilmember Paul Krekorian recently told the Times that Trump’s election presaged “four difficult years for our city on multiple levels, not least of which is our access to federal funding for different programs, and preparations for the Olympics.”
But with L.A. also playing a major role in the 2026 World Cup, local Olympic organizers said they have detected no signs of resistance in conversations with Trump’s transition team or other Washington D.C. officials.
Their comments came at a news conference that concluded three days of meetings with visiting International Olympic Committee officials, who expressed similar confidence in preparations for 2028.
“President-elect Trump has been incredibly clear about the responsibility we have hosting world events,” Wasserman said. “Travel, security, transportation, logistics — there’s a lot that they provide and it’s well known and well-accepted across the federal government.”
