URGENT UPDATE: A prominent Los Angeles Times columnist, Gustavo Arellano, has just urged the city of Los Angeles to abandon its plans to host the 2028 Summer Olympics due to concerns over Donald Trump’s involvement. In a scathing column published today, Arellano warns that Trump’s leadership of the Olympic task force could lead to the city being exploited for political gain.
Arellano’s alarm comes after Casey Wasserman, chair of LA28, announced Trump as the head of the task force. He equates this decision to handing Los Angeles a “giant whoopi cushion,” signaling a disastrous turn for the city. “That’s why L.A. needs to withdraw from hosting the Olympics — the sooner the better,” Arellano states emphatically.
The columnist criticizes not only Trump but also other top officials from the Trump administration present at the announcement, including Vice President JD Vance and Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem. He highlights the potential for Trump to use the Olympics as a platform to tout his controversial policies, especially in a presidential election year.
Arellano describes Wasserman’s praise of Trump as “groveling,” questioning his qualifications for leading the LA28 organization. “I haven’t seen such a suck-up since the last time I vacuumed my dad’s pool,” he quipped, questioning whether someone with Wasserman’s background could effectively handle Trump’s influence.
The columnist notes the inevitable involvement of the federal government in Olympic security but warns that Trump’s role complicates matters significantly. “With the Games happening in a presidential election year, Trump would love nothing more than to traipse around an L.A. radically transformed by his deportation blitzkrieg,” Arellano cautions.
He further expresses concerns that Trump will use the upcoming three years to “humiliate blue L.A. at every chance,” posing the question to readers: Do Angelenos really want to give Trump and his “goon squad” more opportunities to make life miserable in the city? Arellano firmly states, “I don’t want my money going toward something that Trump will use to bolster his noxious legacy.”
The 2028 Summer Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 14 to 30, 2028, and Los Angeles was officially declared the host city in 2017. Amid this controversy, the White House has not yet responded to requests for comment on Arellano’s claims.
As the city grapples with this urgent issue, the potential decision to withdraw from hosting the Olympics raises significant questions about the future of the event and its impact on Los Angeles. Will city officials heed Arellano’s call, or will they stand firm on their plans under Trump’s oversight?
Stay tuned for developing updates on this critical situation.