Andrew Giuliani’s Political Future May Ride on a Peaceful World Cup

Andrew Giuliani is perhaps best known as the son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and President Trump’s golfing buddy, but any chance of having his own political career could be determined over the next six weeks of the World Cup.As the executive director of the White House FIFA World Cup 2026 Task Force, by the conclusion of the much-anticipated event, Mr. Giuliani will either be praised for his leadership if all goes well or the target of ridicule and scorn if something goes wrong.“If on July 20, ESPN is talking about an amazing game for the World Cup final — maybe the U.S. winning their first World Cup in penalty kicks — then we’ve done our job,” Mr. Giuliani told ESPN, referring to the day after the scheduled final. “If we’re talking about safety and security procedures, then we haven’t done our job.”When Mr. Trump announced Mr. Giuliani’s appointment in May 2025, despite having zero experience in law enforcement, the president warned, “It’s a big post. You better do well, Andrew.”With the opening of the World Cup, Mr. Giuliani, 40, is learning that accomplishing that mandate is easier said than done.An Unprecedented Security ChallengeDue to its size and scope, the 2026 World Cup presents an unprecedented security challenge that Mr. Giuliani must coordinate. More than 400 law enforcement agencies are working with the federal government and private security firms to secure the stadiums, fan festivals, base camps and hotels for the record 48 teams that will play 78 matches over 39 days in 11 U.S. cities from Los Angeles to New York and Seattle to Miami.“It’s an unbelievable problem when I think about what law enforcement is going to have to go over this 40-day stretch,” Mr. Giuliani said. “It’s unprecedented.”Family TiesMr. Giuliani has known Mr. Trump for most of his life, meeting him as a youngster when his father Rudy was the mayor of New York in the 1990s. Their relationship grew on the golf course.Andrew, who played collegiate golf at Duke and in 2001 partnered in the Buick Classic pro-am with Tiger Woods, reportedly had a standing game with the future president on Saturdays. He later often accompanied Mr. Trump on golf trips around the world.When Mr. Trump was elected president for the first time, Mr. Giuliani was named an associate director for the Office of Public Liaison, a role where he brought sports teams in for White House visits and helped leagues restart competition during the COVID-19 pandemic.When Mr. Trump lost the re-election, Mr. Giuliani launched an unsuccessful bid to be Governor of New York He was soundly beaten in the Republican primary by Lee Zeldin.After Mr. Trump won election for a second term, Mr. Giuliani returned to the White House as a special assistant to the President. When the role of leading the World Cup Task Force opened, Mr. Giuliani persuaded his golfing buddy to give him the job.“I was obviously very, very happy for a moment, and then you realize the responsibility,” Mr. Giuliani said.Mr. Giuliani insists he remains unfazed by whispers of nepotism because of his famous last name and ties to Mr. Trump. He has spent most of his life under the media’s microscope. His public actions have long been fuel for the press from yawning and blowing kisses during his father’s swearing-in ceremony to being parodied by comedian Chris Farley on Saturday Night Live in 1994 and later being lampooned for his dismissal from the Duke golf team for disciplinary reasons.“Critics are always going to be a part of your life, especially when you’re in the public eye since you’re 7 years old, that’s just a part of life,” he told ESPN. “For me, I think the best thing to do, just like a good athlete would do, is you block out the noise. The tale will be in the tape. We’ll see on July 20.”Threats AboundGetting through the July 19 finale set for MetLife Stadium without some type of incident appears to be a monumental task.Known security threats on the Task Force’s radar include unauthorized drones, explosives, cybersecurity attacks, potential infectious diseases, weather disruptions, visa issues, transportation disruptions, homegrown extremists, and the Iranian team playing in the U.S. while the two countries are at war.Mr. Giuliani visited all 11 U.S host cities and continues to conduct weekly conference calls to update plans, voice concerns and share feedback. He has also worked tirelessly with local and state law enforcement to coordinate security at each venue, including sharing any related information. The hope is to spot trends that might be happening in Miami that could impact New York, Kansas City, Houston or any other venue.An Expensive PropositionHost cities have received $625 million in federal grants to cover overtime and additional security costs. The Department of Homeland Security also awarded host cities more than $250 million to purchase anti-drone technology. An estimated 60 officers from 30 state and local jurisdictions have received drone mitigation training after the FBI warned local law enforcement in California last March of a potential plot by Iran to launch a surprise retaliatory drone attack.Mr. Giuliani admitted he doesn’t always speak with Mr. Trump on a daily basis but makes decisions based on their relationship on and off the golf course. “Developing that rapport and learning from him for 30 years now, it’s really helped in trying to address some of the problem sets, (and) also understanding where the president may be on something. That’s really been one of the strong parts of the role, is always having a feel for where the president is on stuff.”As the World Cup plays out and winning scores are posted, Mr. Guiliana is watching only one scoreboard, the one listing security breakdowns. If he plans on having his own political career post-Trump Administration, a peaceful World Cup would offer a glowing endorsement.“We have a zero-fail mission,” Mr. Giuliani said. “We are focused on making sure nothing goes wrong.”

Andrew Giuliani’s Political Future May Ride on a Peaceful World Cup

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