Republican power players with strong ties to Donald Trump have been added to the committee behind the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The LA28 board of directors now includes Reince Priebus, who was White House chief of staff during the first six months of Trump’s first presidency, and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Other MAGA additions to the voluntary board include Diane Hendricks, who has donated millions to Trump’s campaigns, Ken Moelis, who was Trump’s banker in the 1990s, and Patrick Dumont, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and son-in-law of Trump benefactor Miriam Adelson.
Other names on the board include actress Jessica Alba, media proprietor Jeffrey Katzenberg, and entertainment executive and sports agent Casey Wasserman, who serves as chairperson.
“We are thrilled to welcome this accomplished group to the LA28 Board, who will help create an unforgettable Games for athletes and fans alike,” Wasserman said in a statement.
Former Trump Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao also remains on the board. She resigned from the cabinet after the Jan. 6 riots, saying they “deeply troubled me in a way I simply cannot set aside.”
The 35-person board previously featured former Olympians, including swimmer Katie Ledecky and Paralympic cyclist Muffy Davis, who also served as the Democratic member in the Idaho House of Representatives from 2018 to 2021.
The Daily Beast has contacted LA28 for comment about the changes.
Politico reports that the Trump-adjacent new board members could be a strategic asset for the president, who has regularly clashed with California Gov. Gavin Newsom. McCarthy also has links to Los Angeles mMayorKaren Bass.
The LL.A.Summer Olympics run from July 14 to July 30, 2028, which is Trump’s final year in office. He will be 82 when the Olympics take place.
In August last year, when Joe Biden was still president, Trump used his Truth Social platform to take credit for the Summer Games taking place in Los Angeles.
“As President-Elect, I worked with the Olympic Organizing Committee of Los Angeles in getting the 2028 Olympics to come to the United States,” he wrote. “There was tremendous competition from other countries.”
Trump announced a new task force for the Olympics in August this year, with himself conveniently serving as chair. Wasserman gifted him a set of official Olympic medals while in the White House.
“Can I say I won them athletically? That would be an honor,” the 79-year-old asked.
At the time, Trump also raised the transgender sporting issue, stating, “The United States will not let men steal trophies from women at the 2028 Olympics.”
The president tackled the issue of crime, threatening, “We’ll do anything necessary to keep the Olympics safe, including using our National Guard or military. No, I will use the National Guard or military — this is going to be so safe — if I have to.”
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