(ATR) U.S. President Donald Trump hasn’t decided if he will attend Tokyo 2020 yet.
He says he has been invited by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and that although a decision has not been made yet, "we’re going to try, if we can".
Tokyo 2020 will not conflict with the Republican National Convention, where Trump will be his party’s choice for another term as president. The event will run from August 24-27 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Olympics begin July 24 and end August 9.
Trump did not attend the last Olympics in PyeongChang in 2018. Vice President Mike Pence represented the U.S. government at the opening ceremony and Trump’s daughter and adviser Ivanka led the delegation at the closing ceremony.
Trump’s plans for Tokyo were revealed on Tuesday to reporters after he signed the document that confirms the government is all in for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. The agreement confirms that the federal government will be responsible for 28 Olympic commitments that include national security, transportation support, telecommunications and environmental contributions.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin were among those attending the signing ceremony at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills.
United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) CEO Sarah Hirshland and LA 2028 Chair Casey Wasserman were also there. They briefed Trump on preparations for both Tokyo 2020 and LA 2028 immediately afterward.
Wasserman thanked President Trump for his support of the LA bid, saying "it wouldn’t have happened without you".
Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, a Democrat whose politics are in stark contrast to Trump’s, did not attend.
Written by Gerard Farek
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