International Olympics Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach says he is not communicating with President-elect Trump before leaving office later this year.
Bach told DPA International News he congratulated Trump on the Republican’s election victory in November but has not sought any other communication beyond that.
“I don’t think it would be really fair or right, with regard to my successor, to seek contact again now and perhaps influence any decisions that are then incumbent on my successor,” Bach said of not speaking to Trump.
The IOC has its own presidential election in March with Bach about to leave office in June.
Bach’s lack of communication with Trump comes as the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires have put the viability of Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics in doubt.
As of now, there are no plans to move the 2028 Games out of Los Angeles. The 2028 Games were to be the first in history in which the host city would not have to build any new venues due to the number of stadiums and arenas in the city. But many of the areas where those venues are located have been decimated by fires.
Olympic venues close to areas affected by the fires include the Riviera Country Club, the Olympic Village, Pauley Pavilion and Rose Bowl Stadium.
LA2028 Chairman Casey Wasserman said in a statement he was confident Los Angeles would rally from the wildfires and that they would not undercut the Olympics.
“Los Angeles is defined by its resilience and determination,” Wasserman said. “The strength of our communities and our unity in tough times make this city extraordinary, and when Los Angeles welcomes the world in 2028, our spirit will shine brighter than ever before.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom told NBC News the state is “organizing a Marshall plan” to ensure the Olympics can still commence in Los Angeles in 2028.
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“President Donald Trump was helpful in getting the Olympics to the United States of America — to get it down here in LA. We thank him for that. This is an opportunity for him to shine, for this country to shine, for California and this community to shine,” Newsom said.
“That’s why we’re already organizing a Marshall plan. We already have a team looking, reimagining LA 2.0, and we’re making sure everyone’s included.”
However, the prospect of the city being able to host the Olympics amid what is projected to be years of reconstruction has been criticized by some.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said in an interview with Newsmax he believes the Olympics should be moved to a Republican-controlled city and state.
“I do think the American people rightly see how poorly that state is being run, how poorly these tragic fires have been handled by the governor and, of course, the mayor there in Los Angeles,” Jordan said.
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk has also suggested the Olympics be moved out of Los Angeles in 2028, suggesting Dallas or Miami as the new host city.
“The Los Angeles Olympics should be canceled,” Kirk wrote on X. “If you can’t fill a fire hydrant, you aren’t qualified to host the Olympics. Move them to Dallas, or Miami, so the world’s athletes can compete in a place capable of actually safely building and running something.”
Before the fires, Bach expressed confidence in Trump’s ability to lead the organizing of the 2028 Olympics in early December.
“We are very confident there with regard to the steps and efforts being undertaken,” Bach said at a news conference after an executive board meeting of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland. “We saw also that President-elect Trump repeatedly declared his support for the Games, which we never had any doubt because he has declared this support from the very beginning.”
Bach added that Olympic leaders are “very confident and relaxed” about working with Trump.
Trump and Bach last met in June 2017 at the White House when discussing a bid to bring the Olympics back to Los Angeles. Trump has taken credit for securing the 2028 bid. However, Bach did not speak flatteringly of Trump after that first meeting.
“Pray for our world,” Bach was heard to say on a cellphone call later that day in Washington, D.C.
Now, Trump will have the task of leading America’s hosting of the Olympics after one of the worst disasters in the host city’s history. He will have to make decisions without any consultation from the sitting IOC president until a new one is elected.
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