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Trump threatens to ‘take away’ World Cup games scheduled for Boston area
The president said Tuesday he would consider moving the seven World Cup games scheduled for the Boston area elsewhere.
In response to a recent string of so-called street takeovers, President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he could “take away” the 2026 World Cup games scheduled to be held in the Boston area.
The recent takeovers, which allegedly included illegal street racing and attacking police cruisers, have occurred in Boston and several nearby communities. Similar incidents were reported in three Boston neighborhoods and in Dedham, Fall River, Middleborough, and Randolph on a single night earlier this month, according to police.
That night, a takeover in Boston allegedly saw a violent crowd destroy a police cruiser, which police said went up in flames after being hit with a lit firework.
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When asked Tuesday at a White House press conference about the street takeovers and upcoming World Cup games, Trump harshly criticized the mayhem while throwing jabs at Mayor Michelle Wu.
“I love the people of Boston, and I know the games are sold out, but your mayor is not good,” Trump said. “She’s intelligent, but she’s radical left.”
Trump indicated that he has little faith that Wu is sufficiently handling the takeovers and accused her of “hurting Boston.” Though he suggested taking federal action, state politicians such as Governor Maura Healey have strongly denounced the idea of sending the National Guard to Massachusetts.
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“We could get them back in about two seconds,” Trump continued. “All she has to do is call us; we’ll go in and take them back, but she’s afraid to because she thinks it’s bad politically.”
Wu’s office issued a statement after Trump’s comments saying, “Boston 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 liberty and city of champions,” The Associated Press reported.
Earlier this month, FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani also pushed back on some of the president’s previous threats, noting “It’s FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions.”
Seven World Cup games are scheduled to be held at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, but Trump said he may try to move the games if Boston doesn’t “clean up their act.”
“If I feel there’s unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni [Infantino], the head of FIFA, who’s phenomenal, and I would say, ‘Let’s move it to another location.’”
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Material from The Associated Press was used in this story.
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