Road to LA28: The Importance of Transportation, Diplomacy, and the Future of Los Angeles

The next two years are huge for Los Angeles and diplomacy. This June and July, we’re hosting 8 World Cup matches, then in July and August 2028 LA will be hosting the largest sporting event in the world–the Olympic and Paralympic Games. These two events give Los Angeles opportunities for public diplomacy in what I’ll call the dark ages of cultural and sports diplomacy for America–the Trump Administration. The Eurasia Group, the world’s leading political risk firm, named 2026’s top risk a US Political Revolution. 

Trump’s dismantling of checks and balances have not only had an effect on the sanctity of democratic institutions, but have negatively affected the world’s overall opinions about the US and democracy. Last year, about 7 months into Trump’s term, Pew Research polled people in 24 countries about their views of the US. In Western Europe, an overwhelming number of countries had primarily negative views about the US and about democracy under Trump. The lowest was Sweden, with 79% of adults polled having an unfavorable view of the US. Australia and Turkey weren’t far behind, with 71% of adults having an unfavorable view. Out of the top 20 medal earners in the Olympics, 8 of those countries have a majority (50% or more) negative view of the US, and in turn, those 8 also have a negative view of democracy in the US. 

As all Angelenos know, Los Angeles is overwhelmingly democratic, with around 44.96% of all registered voters registered as Democrats–compared to 25.14% registered as republican, and 22.65% with no party preference. The impact of Trump-era politics on the overall population may be less intense for visitors from out-of-state, or even out-of-country. However, Los Angeles still has a long way to go when it comes to preparing for events that may overwhelm the city’s capacity. 

The 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games Committee has yet to make their yearly progress update, but many critics are calling a “car free” Olympics aspirational at best, and fantasy at worst. This comes from funding needs that may be out of Los Angeles’ scope–as transit officials have requested over $3B from the federal government. Trump’s strained relationship with both Karen Bass and Gavin Newsom could reduce that number, eliminating the ability of a car-free games. Although we are setting up for large changes in power and California dynamics in November, California likely won’t be a popular choice for Trump. The Olympics impacts Angelenos, providing infrastructure that, if maintained, gives the city an unprecedented level of public transportation and access to the Greater Los Angeles Area.

The opinion of Los Angeles during LA28 does hinge on how well transportation operates. According to UCLA’s 2026 Quality of Life Index, the quality of life for Angelenos is slowly declining with notable negative changes from 2025 being transportation and traffic. Transportation and traffic was also seen as the most important indicator about 45% of the time. Given this, it makes sense why LA28 is so focused on improving infrastructure surrounding transit–not just temporarily, but possibly permanently. 

For any country, the Olympics is a time to showcase its soft power and to shift focus toward the host country’s culture, infrastructure, and values. This is more crucial for Los Angeles than it is for America as a whole. The Olympics typically does not improve the approval rate of the host country’s leader. Due to the rise of social media, people are able to curate their media intake, and mass media campaigns through major outlets are typically less effective within the host country. Without the use of mass media, political polarization is not eased significantly within the host country, which is particularly important for America, where political polarization is severe.

Sports Diplomacy does improve soft power, and in a country as vast as America, is it important to distinguish the differences between cities. More recently, with the World Cup, each host city has its own distinct flair, with individual slogans and traditions. Consul Generals within each city become crucial to connect the community with their host countries. Looking toward the future, The Olympics are not only for competition and country pride, they are strong displays of public diplomacy, virtue signaling, and exercising of soft power. The question is if Los Angeles will be able to repair, even temporarily, some of the negative connotations associated with the US as a result of the Trump Administration during LA28.