# How will U.S. Politics affect the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump, olympic-sports\ **Created:** [June 21, 2025, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959 "2025-06-21T23:57:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2025, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/1 "2025-06-21T23:57:42Z")
The Los Angeles Summer Olympics are supposed to run from July 14 to July 30 in 2028, and the Trump government will still be fully in power. Are there any safeguards in place to ensure that pretty much all countries will be free to enter the country, compete and then leave, or should some countries skip the cost of training and travel out of a very real fear of what may happen to them because of U.S. politics? I know it may be too early for definite answers, but people around the world are training for it _now_. BTW, I didn’t know what forum to post this in, so I’ll go along with whatever the Mods decide. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/2 "2025-06-22T00:05:51Z")
The [travel ban issued by the White House](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/06/restricting-the-entry-of-foreign-nationals-to-protect-the-united-states-from-foreign-terrorists-and-other-national-security-and-public-safety-threats/) excludes those participating in the Olympics and World Cup. Specifically, > Any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State; ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/3 "2025-06-22T00:08:30Z")
It sure does…now. How sure are you that it will stay that way…and how sure should countries investing millions of dollars and thousands of hours be that nothing is going to change for the worse? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/4 "2025-06-22T00:11:03Z")
How sure are _you_ that Trump will still be the president? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/5 "2025-06-22T00:18:08Z")
I really don’t know, but I _do_ know it isn’t _my_ millions of dollars and thousands of hours at risk here. ICE is acting like a constitution-be-damned goon squad right now, and we have no idea at all what will be happening in the next couple of years but I suspect that us heading for a more Constitutional government isn’t really in the cards. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/6 "2025-06-22T00:26:06Z")
Your posts pretty much cancel one another out. If the only safeguards are words, then there are no safeguards. If nobody can say anything, then anything people say is meaningless. If we can’t know the future, then the future is unknown. What people planning for the future should do is an interesting question, and certainly people all over the world are wrapped up in answering it. Yet they have no more firm information than the rest of us. What realistic options do they have except to hope for the best or walk away? Is that your question? That at least is a good question, if utterly answerable. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/7 "2025-06-22T00:52:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Are there any safeguards in place to ensure that pretty much all countries will be free to enter the country, compete and then leave, or should some countries skip the cost of training and travel out of a very real fear of what may happen to them because of U.S. politics? The answer depends so much on whether Trump seriously attempts to conquer the former Canal Zone, Greenland, or, least likely, Canada. If he makes any serious attempt to increase the size of the U.S., a lot of national teams will refuse to attend for political reasons more than safety. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/8 "2025-06-22T01:51:33Z")
I suspect that, if the Olympics are still held in 2028, many countries will boycott. Whatever reputation we still have left will be decimated by then. Perhaps a new President could somehow repair a bit of that reputation, but I doubt it. And I doubt there will be a new President. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/9 "2025-06-22T01:57:10Z")
That of course brings up problem number 2. At what point does California and the city of Los Angeles just refuse to spend any more money on what may be a very nasty boondoggle? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/10 "2025-06-22T02:00:57Z")
What gives you the idea that they would attempt to cancel the contract they have already signed? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/11 "2025-06-22T02:01:20Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > At what point does California and the city of Los Angeles just refuse to spend any more money on what may be a very nasty boondoggle? I suspect morally upright, stalwart ladies and gentlemen of the International Olympic Committee would attempt to sue them into oblivion. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/12 "2025-06-22T03:16:45Z")
Oblivion might be cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/13 "2025-06-22T03:34:57Z")
The IOC regulations for the Games stipulate that the host country’s Head of State proclaims the Games open without any further speech by saying “I declare open the Games of … (name of City) … celebrating the … (number) … Olympiad of the modern era”. Anybody reckon 45/47 would be capable of staying explicitly to that script? ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/14 "2025-06-22T14:00:54Z")
Good to mention the (soccer) world cup, because all the issues raised in the OP are going to be tested next year. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/15 "2025-06-22T14:46:29Z")
Nevermind. Sorry ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/16 "2025-06-22T14:50:29Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > What gives you the idea that they would attempt to cancel the contract they have already signed? I don’t know if they would or wouldn’t, but parties breach contracts all the time. Often deliberately. Also, many contracts have escape clauses. I imagine this particular contract is long and complicated and LA could probably find a way out if that was their desire. But also remember, LA wanted this very badly. I doubt it’s the contract holding them in, it’s their dreams of accomplishing whatever they thought the Olympics would accomplish for them. (I was going to say it’s the money, but cities don’t make money on the Olympics any more, do they?) Anyway, despite many reasons to fear a clusterfuck, I’m sure the organizers in LA are hoping for the best and ignoring signs of trouble. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/17 "2025-06-22T14:54:29Z")
**Moderating:** Adding the fake tag does not mean it is not a threadshit, please do not do this again. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/18 "2025-06-22T15:04:37Z")
I think this is pretty on-topic – the Senegalese women’s team was going to do a training camp in the US, but canceled because multiple players and coaches couldn’t get visas: > **[TRT Global - Senegal cancels US basketball training camp after visa denials](https://trt.global/afrika-english/article/54c502854cc9)** > > Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has instructed the minister of sports to cancel what was to have been a 10-day training camp in the United States. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/19 "2025-06-22T15:45:48Z")
The last time LA hosted an Olympics we turned a profit. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959/20 "2025-06-22T15:48:01Z")
Totally different political world way back then, wasn’t it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-u-s-politics-affect-the-2028-los-angeles-olympics/1019959.md?page=2)