Last night’s Paris Olympics closing ceremony was a grand spectacle, with Tom Cruise performing an exhilarating stunt to collect the Olympic flag, before motorbiking out and parachuting into Los Angeles. This dazzling show, complete with performances from Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers on a California beach, was broadcast to a global audience, including 70,000 attendees at the Stade de France.
Amidst this celebration, Donald Trump, never one to miss a chance to claim undue credit, decided to wade into the festivities. On Sunday, the former president took to Truth Social to declare his supposed pivotal role in bringing the 2028 Olympics to Los Angeles, while also lobbing baseless attacks at his predecessor, Barack Obama.
In his post, Trump brazenly asserted that he was instrumental in securing the Games for LA, despite the fact that he was only president-elect at the time.
“As President-Elect, I worked with the Olympic Organizing Committee of Los Angeles in getting the 2028 Olympics to come to the United States. There was tremendous competition from other countries,” Trump proclaimed. He even went so far as to claim he “gave them what they wanted to hear, and got the job done!”
He added: “Hopefully I will be President, and our Country will have reached new (and record!) levels of success. SEE YOU IN 2028. Thank you!”
Trump’s revisionist history continued as he took aim at Obama, suggesting that the former president’s lack of engagement with the IOC was the reason why the bid nearly faltered.
“President Obama refused to speak to the International Olympic Committee (perhaps because of a previous rejection by them of a proposal personally made by him!), which needed the enthusiastic support and approval of the U.S. President – Without which they would not have chosen our Country,” Trump claimed,
Despite Trump’s assertions, the reality is that the Los Angeles bid for the 2028 Olympics was awarded in September 2017, following a competitive process where LA triumphed over Paris for the 2024 Games. The decision was part of a unique double allocation, a historic move by the IOC to secure future hosts.
The bid process for the 2028 Games was already over by the time Trump took office. The success of LA’s bid was due to a strong diplomatic push by then-president Obama, the city’s strong proposal and the support of various stakeholders, not to Trump’s fictionalized behind-the-scenes efforts.
As the Olympic flag makes its way to Los Angeles, where Mayor Karen Bass will ceremoniously receive it on Monday, the city is already gearing up for the monumental event. In addition to the 2028 Olympics, LA is preparing for a packed sports calendar, including the FIFA World Cup in 2026, the US Women’s Open, and another Super Bowl.
