World Anti-Doping Agency mulls rule change that could ban Trump from Olympics, World Cup over unpaid U.S. dues

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is considering rewriting its rules to try barring all U.S. government officials — including President Donald Trump — from attending the L.A. Olympics in 2028, in a move that could also have implications for the FIFA World Cup being co-hosted by the U.S. this summer.

The proposal, on the agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting of the drug-fighting watchdog’s executive committee, is the latest manoeuvre to come out of a yearslong refusal of the U.S. government to pay its annual dues to WADA.

The refusal is part of the American government’s unanimous, bipartisan protest of the agency’s handling of doping cases, including one involving Chinese swimmers who were allowed to compete in the 2021 Olympics despite testing positive for a banned substance.

The Associated Press learned of the agenda item through correspondence it obtained between WADA and European officials involved in the agency’s decision-making. Two others with knowledge of the agenda confirmed the existence of the rules proposal with The Associated Press; they were not authorized to speak publicly about the agenda, which has not been released publicly.

WADA spokesperson James Fitzgerald said “there is nothing new here,” noting that discussions related to the issue of what to do about governments withholding funding have been ongoing since 2020 and aren’t directly related to the U.S.

The proposal was, in fact, first brought up in 2024, when U.S. authorities successfully lobbied for its rejection. The U.S. has since lost its seat on the executive committee.

“In spite of WADA’s increasing threats, we continue to stand firm in our demand for accountability and transparency from WADA to ensure fair competition in sport,” said Sara Carter, director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

The rule, if passed, would be mostly symbolic, given the limits an international sports federation has on the leader of a country attending events inside their own borders.

“I have never heard of a $50-million-budget Swiss foundation being able to enforce a rule to, for example, prevent the United States president from going anywhere,” said Carter’s predecessor at ONDCP, Rahul Gupta, who was on the WADA executive committee two years ago and led the movement to reject the proposal.

“… How are you going to enforce it? Are they going to post a red notice from Interpol? It’s ludicrous. It’s clear they have not thought this through.”

The proposal calls for a three-tiered set of sanctions for countries that don’t pay dues. In the U.S. case, that amounts to around $3.7 million US from last year, plus $3.6 million US it didn’t pay in 2024.

Among the most extreme sanctions include “government representatives being excluded from participation in major events such as World Championships and Olympic & Paralympic Games.”

That would include Trump, Vice-President JD Vance and members of Congress, who recently approved hundreds of millions in funding for security and other logistics for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 L.A. Games.

Fitzgerald said the next meeting of the WADA Foundation Board, which would formally approve any action, isn’t scheduled until November, suggesting the rule would not be in place in time for the World Cup. He did not immediately respond to specific questions about how Trump’s status at the World Cup might be affected.

But in a response to a question about timing from the European authorities, WADA wrote: “The proposal could be implemented without undue delay. If necessary, the Foundation Board could consider the proposal by circular or within the context of an extraordinary meeting.”

According to a draft of the proposal, the rule would apply to governments that have not paid dues by Jan. 31 of the year after they’re billed. The U.S. hasn’t paid its WADA dues since 2023.

Representatives from the International Olympic Committee, FIFA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee did not respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking comment on how a ban on U.S. officials might be enforced.

U.S. calling for independent audits of WADA

WADA’s budget was pegged at $57.5 million for 2025. It receives half its funding from the IOC and the other half from governments across the globe. Contributions from governments are loosely based on the size of their athletic teams, and the U.S. has always paid one of the biggest bills.

The ONDCP and Congress under the Biden and both Trump administrations have withheld payments to WADA.

U.S. distrust of the global anti-doping system dates back to the handling of a Russian doping scandal before the Sochi Olympics in 2014.

In 2024, news came to light that 23 Chinese swimmers were cleared to compete in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 despite testing positive for a banned substance. WADA accepted the Chinese doping regulator’s theory that the athletes had been contaminated by traces of heart medication in a hotel kitchen.

WATCH | Chinese swimmers tested positive for banned drugs before Tokyo Olympics:

Chinese swimmers tested positive for banned drug before Tokyo Olympics

Twenty three swimmers from China who tested positive for the same banned drug were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics and some went on to win medals. The scandal has raised questions about the effectiveness of the World Anti Doping Agency shortly before the Paris Olympics.

In the most recent flare-up, the U.S. government said it would withhold payment until WADA subjected itself to an independent audit. WADA defended its auditing practices and, at the Milan Cortina Games last month, once again called on the U.S. to pay the dues.

“This initiative is aimed at better protecting WADA’s funding so that it can deliver on its mission to protect clean sport,” agency spokesperson Fitzgerald said.

“If WADA’s funding is cut, it is ultimately athletes who will suffer. Indeed, athletes … have continuously expressed their support for this initiative.”