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During a meeting on Monday regarding the upcoming FIFA World Cup in North America next year, President Donald Trump threatened to move the games out of Seattle, citing the personal politics of Mayor-elect Katie Wilson.
Wilson, who identifies as a democratic socialist, took part in an election against incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell two weeks ago. But because the race was very close, it wasn’t until Thursday, when Harrell conceded, that Wilson was named as mayor-elect.
Trump claimed Wilson’s political ideology was reason to cancel the six games scheduled in the city.
“If we think there’s going to be a sign of any trouble, I would ask [FIFA president] Gianni [Infantino] to move [games] to a different city,” Trump stated at the White House meeting.
The president further complained that he viewed Wilson as a “very, very liberal-slash-communist mayor.”
“I don’t think we will have this problem, but we will move the event to some place it will be appreciated and safe” if he feels the need for it, Trump added.
Infantino, who took part in the meeting, responded by saying fans would “experience a safe and secure World Cup.” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said her agencies are “communicating with all these mayors about what their responsibilities are.”
Despite Trump’s suggestion that Seattle would be unappreciative of the games, Seattle is considered the 13th best city when it comes to sports in the U.S., outranking Chicago, Baltimore, Houston, and more, according to an analysis from WalletHub. When it comes to soccer specifically, Seattle is considered the third-best city in the country — meaning that revoking its opportunity to host the World Cup would be a proverbial slap in the face to fans in Seattle.
Days before Trump’s statement, Wilson sought to address her constituents who might have concerns about her democratic socialist beliefs.
“People care less about labels than results,” the mayor-elect wrote in a Bluesky post on Friday. “I was elected on the promise that all Seattle citizens should have access to a dignified life, regardless of their background or income.”
Within the platform outlined on her campaign website, Wilson calls for Trump-proofing the city — including sustaining vital services amid potential federal cuts “by raising new progressive revenue,” protecting immigrants and refugees from threats of deportation, defending LGBTQ communities, preserving reproductive rights, and more.
Trump has threatened to slash federal funding to several cities with left-leaning leadership, including New York City, where Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral election earlier this month. In a “60 Minutes” interview prior to that election, Trump called Mamdani, who is also a democratic socialist, a “communist” and “far worse than a socialist.”
“It’s going to be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York. Because if you have a communist running New York, all you’re doing is wasting the money you’re sending there,” Trump said.
Days later, Trump walked back his comments somewhat. While speaking at a business forum in Miami, Trump said, “let’s see how a communist does in New York,” adding, “we’ll help him, a little bit, maybe.”
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