When the Olympic torch last burned at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 41 years ago, it marked the convocation of history’s most prized athletic competition. If all goes according to President Donald Trump’s plan, however, 2028’s Olympic commencement could showcase something other than global unity: America’s descent toward fascism. 

In a recent executive order, Trump created a 2028 Olympic task force to be led by none other than himself. Anticipating pushback to yet another power-hungry move, he immediately threatened to redeploy military and National Guard forces in order to “keep [the] Olympics safe.”

It’s become clear in the past few months of National Guard deployments that Trump’s use of armed military forces has been more about his practice of autocracy and less about ensuring safety. From the events in downtown L.A. — where a reporter and a photographer were both shot by nonlethal bullets — to the ongoing ones in Washington, D.C., where overpolicing has led to multiple wrongful arrests, civilian security has experienced more threats than protection.

We’ve already seen this administration use USC as a political platform for their agenda, targeting it along with nine other universities through the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism and being one of 60 universities to receive a letter over allegations of “antisemitic discrimination and harassment.” Now, it seems to have its sights locked on the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, a University landmark set to become the first venue to ever host three Olympic games. 

Trump’s power grab over Olympic planning has created an internal battle for L.A., with him citing Mayor Karen Bass as “not very competent” to justify his safety concerns. Now, on top of preparing the city for hosting the largest sporting event in the world, L.A. officials must put up with the President’s political theater — criticizing their every move while taking credit for their triumphs.

This drama between L.A. and the White House has already seen many stages. After January’s fires, local politicians put on a semblance of cooperation while trying to secure federal aid for the destruction caused, but they turned openly critical after Trump deployed the National Guard in June. 

In today’s political climate, where speaking out against the Trump administration can raise retaliation — such as critics of the President having their show canceled — appeasing the White House has now become a priority while preparing for an event that should focus on serving the international community.

Recent executive actions have proved alarming in comparison to the U.S.’s democratic history, but they aren’t entirely novel when compared to the rest of the world. The 2014 Sochi Olympics saw Vladimir Putin attempting to reconnect Russia with the West, and 1936’s Summer Games famously displayed propaganda for the burgeoning power of Nazi Germany. 

It isn’t necessarily uncommon for heads of government to take action in overseeing a host city’s preparations, but these roles have largely been ceremonial, such as declaring the games open. The International Olympic Committee even stipulates that “except from that, the government shall not interfere with activities related to the organization of the Games.” 

Those guidelines are directly contradictory to using the games as “a premier opportunity to showcase American exceptionalism,” which is how a White House statement described the President’s viewpoint. Instead of a global celebration, this proves that Trump shares an Olympic agenda reminiscent of those executed by dictators like Adolf Hitler and Putin. 

Malcolm Gladwell described the 1936 Berlin games as “cognitive dissonance on a grand, geopolitical scale” on his podcast series titled “Revisionist History” in an episode called “Hitler’s Olympics,” blatantly refuting the purpose of the Olympics as “unencumbered by politics, high minded and created for cross-cultural understanding.”

Given the current administration’s track record of funding mass deportations, dismantling the Department of Education and uprooting DEI initiatives, the current state of the U.S. resides far from being high-minded or culturally understanding. Trump’s Olympics are setting up to be yet another chronicle of cognitive dissonance. 

Governor Gavin Newsom has already been one of the few brave souls to stand up to Trump’s crackdowns on dissent, but it’s going to take more than just a lonely voice to quell the incumbent threats of authoritarianism. Leaders must not only be united by empathy for L.A. but rather a love for and willingness to protect American democracy on the world stage.