Overview

• In Oval Office remarks, the president said he would move matches if he deems a host city unsafe, responding to questions about Seattle and the Bay Area and criticizing Democratic-led cities.
• FIFA oversees venue selection, and reporting cites contracts and logistics that make relocations late in the process highly unlikely or impractical.
• Trump pointed to federal crackdowns and National Guard deployments in cities such as Washington and Los Angeles and referenced Memphis and Chicago, which are not World Cup hosts.
• The president chairs a White House World Cup task force and has close ties with FIFA’s Gianni Infantino; the Dec. 5 tournament draw was shifted to Washington’s Kennedy Center.
• Local organizers in cities including Seattle and Philadelphia emphasized ongoing safety planning, and FIFA has not commented on any potential venue changes; $625 million in federal security funds will be reimbursed at the task force’s discretion.