Trump calls Seattle Mayor-elect ‘one other magnificence,’ warns metropolis about World Cup security

SEATTLE — FIFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled an expedited visa course of for World Cup ticket holders in search of entry into the United States, whereas the President made a veiled risk to Seattle as effectively.

Seattle is among the many cities slated to host the 2026 World Cup, with six video games deliberate.

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During the announcement, Trump spoke about Seattle’s new Democratic mayor-elect, Katie Wilson, and whether or not her agenda and the town’s present crime points may impression its capacity to host the video games.

Despite Infantino’s reassurances, President Trump expressed considerations about potential points in “liberal” cities, stating that if there’s a “problem,” he may take into account relocating World Cup occasions from Seattle.

If we expect there’s an issue in Seattle, the place we now have a really, very liberal-slash-communist mayor, actually past simply liberal…. I watched her over the weekend… wow, that is one other magnificence we received there. But if we expect there’s gonna be one other drawback, we’re gonna transfer this occasion to a different place the place it is going to be appreciated and protected,” Trump said.

President Trump then redirected the question to Infantino did not directly answer, but said safety and security were FIFA’s number one priority and noted that early ticket sales indicate fans are not currently concerned about it.

FIFA has contracts with 11 American cities and venues to host the games. The Trump administration has allocated $625 million to those cities for security and recently pledged to provide $500 million more for counter-drone defenses.

Infantino toured Seattle and the Sounders’ Renton facility in October of 2024 and sang the praises of the facilities. FIFA also held multiple Club World Cup matches at Lumen Field this past summer, with no significant complaints.

The Seattle World Cup Organizing Committee said on Monday it was business as usual in planning for the event, noting that it had team members in DC last week.

“We are working lockstep with the White House Task Force. We’re working at each stage of presidency, native, state, nationwide, even worldwide, on the border, to ensure this occasion comes off as the very best occasion ever. And so we’re tremendous happy with the way it’s all going,” said Seattle World Cup Organizing Committee President Peter Tomozawa, who added that Wilson had pre-emptively reached out to his group to get more information and offer her excitement over hosting the global games.

Wilson’s transition team pointed to a campaign statement in which she said she wanted the city to host an “superior” World Cup and “This is an opportunity to make everlasting upgrades to downtown public areas and public transit, not simply costly, short-term enhancements at some point of the occasion.”

“President Trump’s comments about moving the 2026 World Cup out of Seattle once again display his ignorance about our city and what we stand for,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell stated. “The safety of residents and visitors to Seattle is always a top concern of our administration. Violent crime is down 20%, homicides are down 42%, and shootings are down 29%.”

Harrell continued, “Seattle continues to attract major sporting, cultural, and music events, showing that visitors and organizers from around the world have confidence in our city. As a global destination for sports, we have been doing our part to prepare for a safe, welcoming, and fun experience for all who come to Seattle for matches. We are not going to be intimidated by political theatrics from the other Washington. Seattle leaders will continue to do the hard work necessary to create a safe, welcoming, and fun experience for residents and visitors alike.”

Visit Seattle, the town’s tourism arm, additionally issued a press release: “We are thrilled to welcome soccer followers from all over the world for FIFA World Cup 2026. Seattle – and the better state of Washington – is all in on making a memorable World Cup expertise. We are actively collaborating with native companions and legislation enforcement to ship a protected and safe World Cup.”

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson also reacted with a statement, reading “Seattle will be an excellent host for the World Cup. My team has been working hard with the city of Seattle and our partners to make sure we’re one of the best regions to host these games. I look forward to working with Mayor Wilson and her team. We’re excited to share our city and our state with the world.”

Trump’s full remarks on Seattle and Katie Wilson can be found starting at the 21-minute mark in the video below:

Who is Katie Wilson?

Wilson, who defines herself as a democratic socialist, won the Seattle mayoral race running on her platform of affordability, housing, homelessness, public safety, and transportation.

On her website, she highlights a plan for a “Trump-Proof Seattle,” which goals to protect the town from potential federal rollbacks below a second Trump administration.

SEE ALSO | Mayor-elect Katie Wilson urges unity, neighborhood, collective duty in Seattle

The proposal facilities on defending weak communities, preserving important companies and reinforcing Seattle’s progressive values within the face of nationwide political shifts.

Wilson’s plan acknowledges Seattle’s reliance on roughly $150 million in annual federal funding and descriptions a proactive technique to shut potential finances gaps with progressive native income sources. Among her proposals is the implementation of a city-level capital positive factors tax, a suggestion she helped develop throughout her tenure on the town’s 2023 Revenue Stabilization Workgroup.

The mayor-elect additionally pledges to strengthen help for immigrants and refugees, increasing authorized companies, language entry, and rapid-response instruments for these going through immigration enforcement. She plans to replace and reinforce Seattle’s sanctuary metropolis insurance policies, making certain that metropolis departments, together with the Seattle Police Department, don’t cooperate with civil immigration arrests or share knowledge with federal businesses.

Wilson’s “Trump-Proof” agenda extends protections to the LGBTQ neighborhood and reproductive rights. She commits to safeguarding entry to gender-affirming care and reproductive well being companies, making certain shelters stay inclusive, and supporting faculties in resisting federal strain to retreat from inclusive practices.

Addressing considerations over authorities surveillance, Wilson plans to evaluate how the town collects and shops knowledge, particularly any that might be accessed by hostile federal entities. She intends to strengthen surveillance ordinances and stop SPD from utilizing unapproved applied sciences acquired by way of different jurisdictions.

Framing her coverage as each defensive and forward-looking, Wilson stated Seattle should “build resilient systems that protect our people and uphold our values” in unsure nationwide circumstances.

World Cup Safety in Seattle

As for questions relating to Seattle’s World Cup security, the World Cup Organizing Committee and metropolis leaders have already assured the general public that there are a number of plans in place for sustaining a protected surroundings.

These efforts embody a give attention to combating human trafficking with coaching for employees and workshops for companies, and implementing conventional safety measures like ticket checks and safety perimeters. The Organizing Committee is working with legislation enforcement and organizations just like the Department of Homeland Security to create complete plans. Plans additionally handle considerations like drone threats and guarantee safety and security drills are performed. Organizers have additionally unrolled an in depth anti-human trafficking plan.

LEARN MORE | World Cup Seattle safety chief talks staging, security at deliberate 2026 occasion

Violent crime charges per 100,000 folks in every of the U.S host cities from 2024 might be discovered ranked under.

Figures that had been calculated utilizing the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) are labeled with a ^ notation. Cities that might not be discovered below the NIBRS, are labeled with a * notation. Those figures had been as an alternative calculated utilizing native knowledge reviews for violent crime in 2024 and inhabitants numbers.

1. Kansas City: 3,111^
2. Houston: 3,049^
3. New York City: 2,791^
4. Boston: 2,463^
5. Philadelphia: 2,289^
6. Dallas: 2,015^
7. Seattle: 1,585^
8. Miami: 1,460^
9. Los Angeles: 717*
10. San Francisco: 548*
11. Atlanta: 503*

More protection on Seattle’s World Cup preparations might be discovered HERE.