Jan 15, 2025 - Energy & Climate

Scoop: Trump pledges to make L.A. Olympics "the greatest games"

Marc Caputo

Exterior shot of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will host the 2028 Summer Olympics. It also hosted the Olympics in 1984 and 1932. Photo: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

President-elect Trump is pledging his full support for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, telling organizers in a meeting late Wednesday that he wants to help the area recover from the devastating wildfires.

Why it matters: The fires that have destroyed more than 10,000 homes have left Los Angeles County with a massive rebuild. Trump told the local Olympic organizing committee, LA28, that he wants to ensure the games go on without a hitch, according to a source briefed on his meeting at Mar-a-Lago with Casey Wasserman, LA28's president and chairman.

"These are America's Olympics," Trump told Wasserman. "These are more important than ever to L.A. and I'm going to be supportive in every way possible and make them the greatest games."

Zoom in: Trump is a huge sports fan. Los Angeles was awarded the 2028 Summer Games during his first term in 2017, and he'll be in the final months of his second term when L.A. will host the Olympics for the first time since 1984.

Trump plans to visit areas ravaged by the fires soon after he's sworn in on Monday, which Wasserman said he appreciated.

"As a lifelong Angeleno, I shared our sentiments for President-elect Trump's continued support in Los Angeles amid the devastation in our region," Wasserman said in a statement to Axios.

The L.A. Olympics are scheduled to begin July 14, 2028.
The Paralympics will follow, starting Aug. 15, 2028.

Between the lines: Joining Trump in his meeting with Wasserman were Melania Trump and film director Brett Ratner, who's shooting an Amazon documentary on the once and future first lady.

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Scoop: Trump pledges to make L.A. Olympics "the greatest games"

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