L.A. Olympics adds Republicans with ties to President Trump to board
LA28, the committee behind the upcoming Olympic Games, quietly added high-profile Republicans with deep ties to President Trump to its board of directors.
The 35-member volunteer board now includes former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Bakersfield Republican who resigned in 2023, and Reince Priebus, who served as Trump’s chief of staff for the first six months of his first term and, before that, as chair of the Republican National Committee.
Diane Hendricks, a major GOP donor who has given millions to Trump’s campaigns, and Patrick Dumont, who owns the Dallas Mavericks, also joined the board, as did Ken Moelis, an investment banker who worked with Trump in the 1990s and predicted he would win the presidency in 2016.
The Trump-adjacent inflow to the board of directors, first reported by Politico, is the latest sign of the president’s possible involvement in the 2028 Games.
It is not clear why the directors expanded the board or what criteria they used in the selection process. A spokesperson for LA28 did not immediately respond to questions.
Kevin McCarthy
(Associated Press)
Not all of the new board members are tied to the president. Los Angeles business consultant Denita Willoughby and philanthropist Maria Hummer-Tuttle also were named to LA28.
“We are thrilled to welcome this accomplished group to the LA28 Board who will help create an unforgettable Games for athletes and fans alike,” Casey Wasserman, chair of the organizing committee, said in a prepared statement.
Wasserman could not immediately be reached for comment.
Although past presidents have taken a largely ceremonial role when the Olympics are held on U.S. soil, there are signs that Trump is seeking more involvement. The 2028 Games coincide with his final year in office.
In August he signed an executive order naming himself chair of a White House task force on the Games. The president views the event as “a premier opportunity to showcase American exceptionalism,” according to a White House statement.
Trump at the time noted that he’d be willing to send the military to Los Angeles to protect the Games. In June he sent the National Guard and U.S. Marines to the city amid escalating immigration enforcement actions, prompting pushback from Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Wasserman attended the executive order signing at the White House and thanked Trump for “leaning in” to planning for the Olympics.
“You’ve been supportive and helpful every step of the way,” Wasserman told the president. “With the creation of this task force, we’ve unlocked the opportunity to level up our planning and deliver the largest and, yes, greatest Games for our nation, ever.”
