International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said he will not communicate with President-elect Trump before he leaves office later this year.
Bach told DPA International News that he congratulated Trump on the Republican’s election victory in November, but did not request any further communications beyond that.
“I don’t think it would really be fair or right to my successor to make contact again now and perhaps influence the decisions that will then fall to my successor,” Bach said of not not address Trump.
The IOC is holding its own presidential election in March, and Bach is set to leave office in June.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Bach’s lack of communication with Trump comes as ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles cast doubt on Los Angeles’ viability to host the 2028 Summer Olympics.
At this time, there are no plans to move the 2028 Games out of Los Angeles. The 2028 Games were expected to be the first in history in which the host city would not have to build new venues due to the number of stadiums and arenas in the city. But many areas where these sites are located have been decimated by fires.
Olympic venues near areas affected by the fires include the Riviera Country Club, the Olympic Village, Pauley Pavilion and the Rose Bowl Stadium.
The Washburn Fire burns on a hillside in Yosemite National Park, California, July 9, 2022. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
LA2028 President Casey Wasserman said in a statement that he is confident Los Angeles will recover from the wildfires and that they will not jeopardize the Olympics.
“Los Angeles is defined by its resilience and determination,” Wasserman said. “The strength of our communities and our unity in difficult times makes this city extraordinary, and when Los Angeles welcomes the world in 2028, our spirit will shine brighter than ever.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom told NBC News that the state is “organizing a Marshall Plan” to ensure the Olympics can still begin in Los Angeles in 2028.
TRUMP TO PRESIDE HISTORIC SPORTS EVENTS – WHICH TEAMS AND STARS COULD SKIP VISITS TO THE WHITE HOUSE?
“President Donald Trump helped bring the Olympic Games to the United States of America, here in Los Angeles. We thank him for that. This is an opportunity for him to shine, for this country to shine, for California and this country to shine,” Newsom said.
“That’s why we’re already organizing a Marshall Plan. We already have a team that is looking, reinventing LA 2.0, and we’re making sure everyone is included.”
However, the prospect of the city being able to host the Olympics amid what is expected to be years of rebuilding has been criticized by some.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said in an interview with Newsmax that he believes the Olympics should be moved to a Republican-controlled city and state.
“I think the American people rightly see how mismanaged this state is, how mishandled these tragic fires have been by the governor and, of course, by the mayor of Los Angeles,” Jordan said.
Burned buildings in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood as smoke from the Palisades Fire rises in the background in Los Angeles on January 10, 2025. (Reuters/Mike Blake)
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk also suggested that the Olympics be moved out of Los Angeles in 2028, suggesting Dallas or Miami as a new host city.
“The Los Angeles Olympics should be canceled,” Kirk wrote on Miami so athletes from around the world can compete.” in a place capable of building and operating something safely.
Before the fires, Bach had expressed confidence in Trump’s ability to lead the organization of the 2028 Olympics in early December.
“We are very confident about the measures and efforts undertaken,” Bach told a news conference after a meeting of the International Olympic Committee’s executive committee in Lausanne, Switzerland. “We also saw that President-elect Trump repeatedly declared his support for the Games, which we never doubted since he declared that support from the beginning.”
Bach added that Olympic leaders were “very confident and relaxed” about working with Trump.
People watch smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on January 7, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)
Trump and Bach last met in June 2017 at the White House as they discussed an attempt to bring the Olympics back to Los Angeles. Trump took credit for securing the 2028 nomination. However, Bach did not speak flatteringly of Trump after that first meeting.
“Pray for our world,” Bach was heard saying in a phone call later that day in Washington, DC.
Now, Trump will have the task of leading the U.S. organization of the Olympics after one of the worst disasters in the host city’s history. He will have to make decisions without any consultation with the current IOC president until a new one is elected.
