Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) on Wednesday accused President Donald Trump of creating a toxic environment that threatens to spoil FIFA’s 2026 World Cup matches.
During a Senate appropriations subcommittee hearing on the soccer event, which the United States is hosting alongside Canada and Mexico, Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) heralded the games as “a great unifier.” Van Hollen agreed but said Trump and his administration are doing little to foster such an atmosphere. The Maryland Democrat warned that policies set by the Department of Homeland Security, including those regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, could discourage some people from attending or participating in the games, impacting the event’s success.
“This should be a unifying event,” Van Hollen said. “Unfortunately, the president of the United States has represented just the opposite, including comments in the lead-up to the games and actions. He has made his political career by sowing division, by pitting people against one another based on race or ethnicity or religion, and he’s been scaring off families who come here to cheer on their teams.”
“I am very concerned that because of statements made by the president, actions taken by the Trump administration, that we’re going to be discouraging soccer fans from coming to games here, and that our communities will lose the economic benefits of that gain or that they will be diminished,” he continued.
In the U.S., the World Cup will take place in 11 cities from June 11 through July 19, and it is expected to attract more than 1 million tourists from across the world.
Britt questioned witnesses during the hearing, which focused on how the partial DHS shutdown is affecting planning for the event. Chris Tomney, director of DHS’s Office of Situational Awareness, said the shutdown had “significantly impacted” the government’s ability to prepare for the World Cup, which he described as “the most complex and widespread sport event in the history of the world.”
“If I can implore members of Congress on both sides, it’s long since time to reopen the Department of Homeland Security,” he told lawmakers. “With what’s going on globally, at a time when we’re going to have this historic tournament, it’s time to open our Department of Homeland Security.”
“Hundreds of [Transportation Security Administration officers] have been lost during the shutdown,” Tomney continued. “We just can’t replace that expertise overnight. It has hindered our coordination with states and locals. It has reduced our planning efforts.”
Tomney said there are a “multitude of threats” to prepare for prior to hosting the World Cup. He said increasing counter-drone capability would be vital, after the agency warned in February that with FIFA events being held across a multitude of U.S. cities, there are “many” locations lacking such resources.
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The DHS shutdown began in February, after Democrats refused to renew funding for the agency due to concerns about ICE. It has now stretched into the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Britt pleaded for Democrats to make a deal to reopen DHS on Wednesday.
“Look, international sporting events are a great unifier,” she said. “Nothing compares to cheering on our country, and nothing is more unifying. I am excited for us to have that moment again. I think we need it as a nation to help us refocus on what brings us together, but in doing that, we want to make sure that those spaces are safe.”