Several people with ties to President Donald Trump recently joined the board of LA28, the organizing committee for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
This includes former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from Bakersfield, and Reince Priebus, the former chair of the Republican National Committee and Trump’s chief of staff during the president’s first term.
Patrick Dumont, who owns the Dallas Mavericks and is the son-in-law of major Trump donor Miriam Adelson; billionaire businessperson Diane Hendricks, another major Trump donor; and investment banker Ken Moelis, a former banker for Trump, are also recent additions to the LA28 board of directors.
Related: Can Trump move the Olympics out of LA?
The addition of these individuals to the board could potentially strengthen communications with, and support from, the White House as Los Angeles — a city that’s been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration with ongoing immigration raids — ramps up preparations for the Games.
“We are thrilled to welcome this accomplished group to the LA28 Board who will help create an unforgettable Games for athletes and fans alike,” LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman said in an emailed statement provided by LA28.
The organization did not respond directly to questions about how or why the new members were selected or if anyone from the Trump administration pushed for them to join the board.
A White House spokesperson praised the addition of “experienced leaders” to the board.
“President Trump secured the LA2028 Olympics during (his) first term, and he has enabled a whole-of-administration effort to helping the games run smoothly by establishing the White House Olympics Task Force,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in an emailed statement. “It is great that the organizing committee is adding experienced leaders to help make this historic event a success.”
The addition of these new board members could help ensure smoother planning for the global sporting event coming to Los Angeles.
Trump previously threatened to move the Olympic Games out of L.A. and to relocate 2026 World Cup matches from U.S. cities that are Democratic strongholds.
Although Trump has no legal authority to relocate the Olympic Games out of L.A. on his own, his administration could make things difficult for the LA28 organizing committee by withholding federal funding or visas for athletes, fans and others planning to travel to the Games, which in turn could compromise the likelihood of a successful global sporting event.
But there have also been signs that the president is supportive of the Games.
In August, he created a task force to ensure a “safe, seamless and historically successful” Olympic Games.
“The L.A. Olympics is shaping up to be a wonderful moment for America. It’s going to be incredible. It’s so exciting,” Trump said at the time.
The purpose of the task force — which is chaired by Trump, with Vice President JD Vance serving as vice chair — is to coordinate security and planning for the Games and streamline visa processing and credentialing for athletes, coaches, media and other visitors traveling to the U.S. A number of Cabinet secretaries and Trump administration officials also sit on the task force.
The office of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said Friday that the mayor looks forward to working with the newest LA28 board members “and all who are committed to the success of the Games, especially Kevin McCarthy who — first and foremost — is a friend and had a productive working relationship with the mayor while working together in Sacramento and in Congress.”
Bass and McCarthy served in the California Assembly and in the U.S. House of Representatives at the same time.
As of Friday, 35 names appear on the list of LA28 board members.
One of those is Elaine Chao, who served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation during Trump’s first term. She announced her resignation as transportation secretary a day after the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters protesting President Joe Biden‘s win.
Chao was already on the LA28 board before this week.