Sacramento – As Los Angeles prepares to host the 2028 Olympics, state lawmakers are raising concerns that a potential confrontation with President Trump could lead to chaos.
State Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), speaking at a legislative hearing on the 2028 Games this week, expressed concern about Trump’s hostility toward California and questioned whether it could affect federal financial aid that is needed for the Olympics.
“I know we rely heavily on federal funding,” Rubio said. “Can you assure me that we won’t be left with a bag in the middle of our plan?”
Rubio was addressing Joey Freeman, vice president of state affairs for the LA28 organizing committee, who testified before lawmakers.
Freeman assured legislators that the organizing committee has a “wonderful working relationship” with the Trump administration. He said the committee successfully advocated for $1 billion in federal funds for state and local law enforcement and $94 million to boost transportation planning.
LA28 leader pre-projected The Games will cost more than $7.1 billion. He has said that the money will come from a variety of sources, including corporate sponsors, ticket sales, merchandise, the federal government, and the International Olympic Committee.
However, Rubio said he is concerned that the federal dollar could decline.
“As a state, we’re also underfunded, and at the end of the day we don’t want to take steps to save the Olympics,” Rubio said.
Many other concerns were raised during the nearly three-hour hearing, including questions about how to best protect visitors and participants from federal immigration raids. The Trump administration’s increased enforcement actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol in the Los Angeles area last year led to clashes with protesters and broader concerns about immigrant rights.
Senator Lina Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) said lawmakers were working on a package of bills to help rein in ICE during the event.
“Immigration is still front and center,” he said. “People are feeling even more worried that they will continue to be deported and kidnapped.”
Other MPs grilled Freeman for more information about ticket sales. LA28 had previously advertised tickets as affordable to locals, but last month many shoppers were dismayed to find prices running into the thousands.
Freeman said he did not have specific information about the community ticketing program, which drew a rebuke from Senator Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro).
He said, “You’re at an official state hearing and I assume you knew there was a problem because it was well publicized in the news.” “The fact that we came to this committee and you don’t know how many tickets were issued, you don’t know how many of them were under $100 – you don’t have the information we need.”
Paul Krekorian, executive director of the Los Angeles Office of Major Events, reduced many of the concerns surrounding the Games to political negativity. He pointed to the success of the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1932 and 1984.
“You’ve heard that tickets are too expensive, there won’t be enough opportunities, it’s going to be a huge disruption, there’s going to be a lot of traffic, the city has been through these terrible fires, how do we overcome this?” He said. “I just want to remind us all – L.A. knows how to do this.”
