President Trump suggests moving 2026 World Cup games from cities he deems unsafe
nytimesSEP 27
Trump Warns World Cup Games Will Be Relocated If Host Cities 'Not Safe'
Above: U.S. President Donald Trump holds the FIFA World Cup trophy in the Oval Office on Aug. 22, 2025. Image copyright: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
Trump is doing everything on his hands to make sure that every city in the U.S. is safe — and hopefully he will succeed until the World Cup. If Democratic mayors do not cooperate with his initiatives and a World Cup host city is deemed unsafe, then games must be relocated to allow fans to enjoy the tournament without fear.
Democratic narrative
Trump continues to carry out baseless attacks on Democratic-run cities, and his threats to move games away from World Cup venues he considers to be unsafe actually expose his ignorance about the country. Seattle has seen a major drop in homicides and gun violence, and Santa Clara is miles away from San Francisco.