Republican U.S. President-elect Donald Trump swept to victory early Wednesday morning staging an historic surprise upset of Democrat Hillary Clinton, and the Los Angeles 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games bid says it will work closely with the new leader.
Trump’s abrasive policies and controversial rhetoric earned him votes from constituents who were looking for a candidate outside of the establishment and offering a promise of change. His appeal, though, is not universal and he wasn’t even able to earn a win in the national popular vote column.
The President-elects’s divisive and isolationist views are not a good mix with ideals of the Olympic Movement and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) members who advocate “unity in diversity” and the promotion of peace and tolerance through sport. Yet LA 2024 has vowed to engage Trump in order to achieve its goals.
“We look forward to working closely with President-elect Trump and his Administration across the federal government to deliver a ‘New Games for a new Era’ that will benefit and inspire the entire Olympic movement in 2024,” a Wednesday statement by the bid read.
“LA 2024 congratulates President-elect Donald J. Trump and appreciates his longstanding support of the Olympic movement in the United States.
“We strongly believe the Olympics and LA 2024 transcend politics and can help unify our diverse communities and our world.”
In August, L.A.’s Democrat Mayor Eric Garcetti said that IOC members were concerned about Trump as a President.
He said “I was asked the question and I talked about what I heard from IOC members – I relayed what they said.”
“We will continue no matter what [the outcome of the election].”
When asked last year at press conferences about the possibility of Trump becoming U.S. President, IOC President Thomas Bach refused to comment on the issue – but a smirk on his face revealed his displeasure with the candidate.
It’s not clear how LA 2024 will utilize the new President to further its campaign, but a visit by President Barack Obama in 2009 to attend the final presentation by Chicago 2016 didn’t go well. The Windy City finished last of four candidates.
The bid, however, needs to win his critical support for the project in order to be competitive when the IOC elects a winner from among Budapest and Paris September 13, 2017 in Lima, Peru.
