FIFA security funding isn't a liberal ‘slush fund'

Politico

a day ago

Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook: Remaking Government, your guide to Donald Trump's unprecedented overhaul of the federal government — the key decisions, the critical characters and the power dynamics that are upending Washington and beyond.
Send tips | Subscribe | Email Sophia | Email Irie | Email Ben
President DONALD TRUMP in April issued an executive order warning local jurisdictions that they could lose federal funds if they enforce sanctuary policies for undocumented immigrants.
Yet Congress allocated $625 million for security at next year's World Cup games in 11 U.S. cities, including five that appear on the administration's list of sanctuary cities that the Justice Department released last week.
Those include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia and Boston — which are going to host a combined 28 World Cup matches next year. New York City, which will be sending NYPD officers to the MetLife Stadium games, including the World Cup final, is also on the list of sanctuary cities.
Trump has taken a significant interest in hosting major international events like the World Cup, and, in an illustration of how important the host role is to him, he has signed off on security funding even when it clashes with his stance against sanctuary cities. That conflict is likely to surface again as the White House plans for America's 250th birthday and the 2028 Olympics in LA, both of which Trump frequently mentions publicly.
ANDREW GIULIANI, 2026 FIFA Taskforce head, in a sit-down interview with West Wing Playbook at the Department of Homeland Security, is making clear that the money is for local law enforcement for things like police overtime and security equipment for the World Cup.
'This is not going to be a slush fund that a leftist politician can use for whatever they'd like. This is going to be for our local law enforcement. It passed through Congress clear, cut and dry,' said Giuliani, adding that the taskforce plans to present to the host committees a plan for how they can submit receipts for reimbursement. 'We are making sure that we trust but verify.'
He emphasized that the money is not going directly to cities and states; it's going to the host committee — private entities — that will then settle the bill with local officials.
'Because so much of it is going to come down to the state and local resources when you're talking about 78 teams over the course of 39 days — and we only have so many federal resources — that's why there is the $625 million through the Big Beautiful Bill,' he said.
Giuliani, who sees his role as helping to ensure the tournament is safe and secure, has visited and held security meetings with eight of the 11 host cities.
'We're here to make sure that that intelligence sharing is happening from the federal government to the state and locals and across the state and locals as necessary, and also that we're plugging gaps where needed, whether it's potentially with canine teams or counter' unmanned aerial systems such as drones, Giuliani said.
The FIFA Taskforce views the Club World Cup this summer as an important opportunity to develop relationships with the local police commissioners and local elected leaders ahead of the nation's semiquincentennial next year.
'Between our state, our locals, and then us, we are going to be stressed to the max next year, between June 11 on kickoff to July 19,' Giuliani said. 'Because not just FIFA, it's America 250 and July 4th.'
The White House declined to comment.
MESSAGE US — West Wing Playbook is obsessively covering the Trump administration's reshaping of the federal government. Are you a federal worker? A DOGE staffer? Have you picked up on any upcoming DOGE moves? We want to hear from you on how this is playing out. Email us at [e-mail].
Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe!
POTUS PUZZLER
What was RUTHERFORD B. HAYES' telephone number at the White House?
(Answer at bottom.)
Agenda Setting
THE LIFE OF KARI: The Government Accountability Office launched an investigation into potential violations of the Antideficiency Act — which prohibits government officials from using funding before congressional approval — by the U.S. Agency for Global Media and U.S. Agency for International Development, a GAO spokesperson confirmed to West Wing Playbook. The person said that the investigation followed a request from the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, and that its timeframe for completion is still unclear.
In a text to West Wing Playbook, acting USAGM CEO and Trump senior adviser KARI LAKE said GAO and Democrats 'are angry that President Trump is rightsizing the bloated federal government, so they are teaming up to try to stop him,' adding that USAGM is 'highly corrupt and wastes hundreds-of-millions of dollars broadcasting 90s-style news around the globe — often spreading an anti-American message.'
The move from the government watchdog comes a day after fresh court documents were released in the case between Lake and Voice of America employees fired by the Trump administration earlier this year. In the court filing, Lake provided updates on USAGM's personnel structure, which employs 135 full-time staffers 'responsible for the execution of USAGM's inherent executive duties.' VOA staffs 74 full-time employees, according to Lake.
Since March, 145 USAGM employees have been recalled from administrative leave.
Lake also notably wrote that USAGM is in negotiations with the conservative cable news network Newsmax to obtain the legal rights to use and disseminate its content. In May, USAGM struck a similar agreement with One America News Network, another staunchly pro-Trump network.
'The goal is to share content of these other networks, which reflect different perspectives and tones, with the populations to which we are statutorily required to broadcast,' she wrote, adding that the plan is for USAGM to pursue similar agreements with more networks.
In a statement to West Wing Playbook, named plaintiffs in VOA's lawsuit against Lake — PATSY WIDAKUSWARA, JESSICA JERREAT and KATE NEEPER — said the plan to partner with Newsmax 'is contrary to the law and VOA's mandate to serve as a reliable and authoritative source of news.'
THIS SHOULD BE FUN: The federal government will soon allow its employees to try out popular artificial intelligence tools, Sophia and our GABBY MILLER report. The U.S. General Services Administration said today that it will launch USAi, a secure platform designed to let employees test out popular AI models made by OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta.
The website is part of a Trump administration effort to accelerate AI adoption across the government and will deliver 'a competitive advantage to the American people,' GSA Deputy Administrator STEPHEN EHIKIAN said in a statement.
IT'S JUST BUSINESS … RIGHT? Two of the law firms that cut deals with Trump this year to avoid punitive executive orders connected in recent months with the Commerce Department about working on trade deals, NYT's MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and MAGGIE HABERMAN report. Trump's personal lawyer, BORIS EPSHTEYN, connected Kirkland & Ellis and Skadden Arps with Commerce in the first publicly known instance of a firm that settled with the president doing work for the administration.
Epshteyn also played a direct role in brokering the initial deals between Trump and the firms, according to several people the Times spoke with.
WHO'S IN, WHO'S OUT
WHO NEEDS SAFE PLANES ANYWAYS? An array of advisory committees that help create safety rules for aviation, railroads and more have been dissolved or their membership rolls purged, with a Department of Transportation official saying the bodies need a 'refresh' in part because they had been 'overrun' with diversity, equity and inclusion and climate activists, our ORIANA PAWLYK and PAVAN ACHARYA report.
According to a document viewed by POLITICO, 25 federal advisory committees involving DOT have been affected. Those cuts include a committee composed of a wide swath of the aviation industry and unions that advises the Federal Aviation Administration on issues, such as the safety of aircraft certifications, airplane evacuation standards, drone flights, accessibility concerns and more.
GOT YOUR BACK: White House chief of staff SUSIE WILES intervened to rehire a vaccine regulator, VINAY PRASAD, who was fired at the urging of far-right influencer LAURA LOOMER, our DAVID LIM, DASHA BURNS and TIM RÖHN report.
Wiles' intervention came following pleas from both Prasad's boss, FDA Commissioner MARTY MAKARY, and HHS Secretary ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., who insisted Prasad is a part of Kennedy's broader 'Make America Healthy Again' movement. Trump had forced Prasad out of his FDA job less than two weeks earlier after the pharmaceutical manufacturer Sarepta Therapeutics, joined by GOP allies and Loomer, sought his ouster.
What We're Reading
How Can the Government 'Take Back' a City It largely Controls? (NYT's Emily Badger and Amy Fan)
Trump's answer to numbers he doesn't like: Change them or throw them away (WaPo's Cat Zakrzewski, David Ovalle, Scott Dance and Laura Meckler)
Congress is lukewarm on RFK Jr.'s plans. In the states, they're catching fire. (POLITICO's Amanda Chu)
The Auctioneer and the Treasury Chief: Billy Long's Quick Fall at the I.R.S. (NYT's Andrew Duehren and Maggie Haberman)
POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER
As Hayes was the first president to install a telephone in the White House, his phone number was '1,' according to our ANDY GLASS. It initially could only be reached from the Treasury Department, which was at the time across from the now-closed East Executive Ave from the presidential residence. More than 50 years passed before President HERBERT HOOVER had the first telephone line installed at the Oval Office.