The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) refuted The Associated Press report Friday that said the agency is considering revising its rules to ban President Donald Trump and U.S. government officials from attending the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The AP reported that the proposal, which would bar U.S. government officials from major sporting events as punishment for failing to pay dues to the organization, is on the agenda for a WADA executive committee meeting next week. The news agency also asserted that the sanctions could impact the World Cup being hosted by the U.S. this summer.
WADA pushed back on the report in a statement posted to its website Friday, saying that even if it introduced a new proposal, the "FIFA World Cup, LA and Salt Lake City Games would not be covered given that the rules would not apply retroactively." It also indicated that any such ruling would be made by WADA's Foundation Board, which doesn't meet until November.
The U.S. government has refused to pay dues to WADA since 2024 as part of a bipartisan protest of the global watchdog's handling of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for the same banned substance in 2021.
The swimmers were allowed to compete in the Tokyo Games that year after WADA decided not to challenge Chinese officials' explanation that the failed tests stemmed from tainted food. The incident didn't become public until The New York Times published a report in 2024.
In its statement on Friday, WADA said discussions on how to proceed regarding governments' withholding funding have been ongoing since 2020 and are therefore not specific to the U.S.
Instead, WADA said its proposal is focused on "better protecting WADA's funding so that it can deliver on its global collaborative movement for doping-free sport." The agency did not provide specifics about the proposal in its statement, and its representatives did not immediately respond to The Athletic's request for comment.
"If WADA funding is cut, it is ultimately athletes around the world -- including in the U.S. -- who will suffer," WADA said as part of its statement. "Athletes (including those on WADA's Executive Committee and Foundation Board) have continuously expressed their support for this initiative."
The White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) withheld its 2024 dues during President Joe Biden's final year in office, and the ONDCP withheld its dues under President Trump's watch in 2025.
Trump signed a law Tuesday that mandates that any U.S. plan to fund WADA must include the results of an audit "by external anti-doping experts and experienced independent auditors" that shows the agency and its executives are "operating consistent with their duties."
The law freezes roughly $3.7 million in annual funding to demand reforms following accusations that China influences WADA.
The controversy over the proposal comes shortly after Trump, Vice President JD Vance and members of Congress approved hundreds of millions in funding for security and other logistics for the World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.