In a recent White House press conference, President Donald Trump expressed concerns about the safety of the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches scheduled to take place in Seattle.
The President's apprehensions stem from the city's incoming Mayor-elect Katie Wilson, a self-proclaimed socialist and advocate for police abolition. Trump's comments, made alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have sparked a debate about the potential relocation of the matches.
According to The Post Millennial, Trump's remarks were prompted by a question about Seattle's preparedness to host six World Cup matches, given Wilson's political leanings and her history of advocating for police abolition. The President did not mince words in his response, comparing Seattle's leadership to that of Los Angeles during the Palisades Fire and criticizing both cities' public safety records.
"If we think there's going to be a sign of any trouble, I would ask Gianni to move that to a different city," Trump said. "We have a lot of cities that would love to have it and we'll do it very safely." He further characterized Wilson as a "very, very liberal/communist mayor," and suggested that if Seattle could not guarantee safety, the matches would be moved to a location where they would be "appreciated and safe."
This is not the first time Trump has expressed such concerns. In September, he hinted at the possibility of relocating Seattle's matches if the city's leadership could not assure security. FIFA President Infantino echoed the President's sentiments, emphasizing that safety is paramount for a successful World Cup. He noted that nearly two million tickets had already been sold, attributing this to trust in the United States' ability to host a secure tournament.
Secretary Noem reinforced this message, stating that the administration is in direct communication with the mayors of all host cities. "They know the safety and security of these events are their number one responsibility," she said. "The presidents always there to keep Americans safe and to make sure people know their responsibilities."
Wilson's political history has been under scrutiny, particularly her advocacy for defunding and dismantling Seattles police department. From 2020 to 2024, Wilson publicly aligned with the defund and abolition movements that surged after the death of George Floyd. In a 2020 Cascade PBS op-ed, she urged Seattle to cut the police budget by 50 percent and argued for disbanding police departments and starting over.
As general secretary of the far-left Transit Riders Union, Wilson played a central role in drafting annual Solidarity Budget proposals, which consistently called for diverting city funds away from policing, courts, and prosecutors and into social services, housing, and transit.
However, during the 2025 mayoral debates, Wilson denied having made past statements supporting police abolition. Her opponents, including incumbent mayor Bruce Harrell, responded by citing her previous quotes. When Harrell referenced her 2020 remark about a future entirely without SPD, Wilson responded, I never said that, despite documentation to the contrary.
By April 2025, Seattles City Council had reversed earlier commitments to defund or abolish SPD, citing the loss of more than 600 officers and rising violent crime as consequences of those earlier policies.
The debate over the location of the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches in Seattle continues, with the city's safety under the leadership of Mayor-elect Wilson at the heart of the discussion. As the world waits for the tournament, the question remains: Will Seattle be able to guarantee the safety of the participants and spectators, or will the matches be moved to a city where safety is assured?
The answer lies in the hands of the city's leadership and their ability to prioritize public safety over political ideology.
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