Trump says US ready to host World Cup and will ‘deal’ with crime in host cities

President Donald Trump said the United States is prepared on security ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, telling reporters before the draw in Washington, D.C., on Friday that the government will “take care” of any crime problems in host cities if necessary.

“No, I don’t want to do that, but I will tell you that if you have a problem when we get there, we will take care of that problem,” Trump said, after arriving at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. “We can solve that problem. I’ve proven that in DC and everywhere else we’ve gone, so we’ll take care of that problem very easily.

“So if they have a problem, hopefully they’ll let us know and we’ll resolve any issues,” he added.

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Trump’s confidence comes weeks after he threatened to relocate scheduled games to the Boston area while addressing an incident in the city in October when a group of people took to one of the city’s streets in a violent demonstration.

“We can take them away. I love the people of Boston. And I know the games are sold out, but the mayor is no good. There are worse than her. At least she is smart. You know, some of them have extremely low IQ. Those bother me more. She is smart, but she is radical left,” Trump said at the time about it. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

The president added that he could ask FIFA president Gianni Infantino to make the relocation a reality if he deemed it necessary.

FIFA SAYS US GOVERNMENT HAS FINAL VIEW ON SECURITY OF WORLD CUP HOST CITIES AMID TRUMP’S THREATS TO BOSTON

“If we think there’s some reason, whether it’s in Boston or anywhere else, why they’re not doing their job, we’ll take those World Cup games and move them somewhere else.”

In a statement to News Digital at the time, Wu said the city is “honored and excited to host World Cup matches, and we look forward to welcoming fans from around the world to our beautiful city, the cradle of freedom and the city of champions.”

A FIFA spokesperson later he told ESPN that governments have the final say when deciding “what is best for public safety.”

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“Safety and security are top priorities at all FIFA events around the world,” the spokesperson told the outlet. “Safety and security are obviously the responsibility of governments, and they decide what is best for public safety.

“We hope that each of our 16 host cities will be ready to host successfully and meet all necessary requirements.”

Boston will currently host seven matches when the World Cup comes to North America next summer. The schedule includes five group stage matches, a round of 32 match and the first quarter-final match on July 9.

News Digital’s Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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