Donald Trump is slated to sign an executive order later today that will create a White House task force to handle issues surrounding the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, according to a White House statement.
It is unclear who will serve on the task force, though multiple news outlets reported Trump will oversee it. A ceremony to sign the executive order is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.
‘The President considers it a great honor to oversee this global sporting spectacle in his second term,’ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in the statement.
Leavitt added that Trump was ‘instrumental’ in bringing the 2028 Summer Games to the United States and described sports as ‘one of President Trump’s greatest passions.’
The White House also provided a statement from Casey Wasserman, the chairperson of the 2028 Los Angeles organizing committee, touting Trump’s efforts.
‘The creation of this task force marks an important step forward in our planning efforts and reflects our shared commitment to delivering not just the biggest, but the greatest Games the world has ever seen in the summer of 2028,’ Wasserman said.
It is unclear how closely the task force will work with state entities and officials in California, such as Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Both are Democrats and have clashed with Trump over domestic policy issues in the heavily-Democratic state, including the Trump administration’s attempts to enforce immigration law. Protests broke out across Los Angeles earlier this summer after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers raided locations across the city.
The creation of the Olympics task force comes about five months after Trump created a similar task force to handle issues surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup for men’s soccer. The president appointed Andrew Giuliani, the son of his close ally Rudy Giuliani, as executive director of that group.
This story will be updated.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @tomschad.bsky.social.
