It’s the oldest trick in the book for anyone needing to get something done when there’s an active toddler or rambunctious puppy around: Give them a toy or a game, or get them to do a task by making them think it’s their idea. The distraction keeps them busy and happy while you get some peace and quiet.
So it is with President Donald Trump’s new “task force” for the Los Angeles Olympics.
Trump signed an executive order Tuesday afternoon creating the task force, which will handle security and transportation issues for the 2028 Summer Games. Yes, there have been task forces for previous Olympics in the United States. But they were not chaired by the president, as this one is.
But LA28 needs Trump not to gum up the works over the next three years. By letting him think he’s in charge of … something, Games officials could avoid headaches over athlete visas and fan safety while keeping Trump from meddling elsewhere.
"We are now focused more than ever on delivery (of the Games) and we can’t do this alone. I want to thank President Trump and the entire administration for their support and their partnership as we work to bring these Games home," LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman said at the signing, where he doubled down on the flattery by presenting Trump with a set of the medals from the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.
