Lawmakers are calling for immediate action among government agencies to secure the skies above the 11 U.S. host cities for the 2026 World Cup.
Published April 28, 2026
Two Republican senators are calling on the Trump administration to authorize the National Guard to deal with potential drone-related threats and ensure a “uniform federal security posture” for the upcoming World Cup games.
The letter from U.S. Representatives Michael McCaul and Elijah Crane, members of the House Homeland Security Committee, was sent Friday to Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullin, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
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McCaul and Crane called for immediate action between authorities to secure the skies over the 11 U.S. cities hosting World Cup matches this year.
They said potential staffing shortages and complex jurisdictional divides between event organizers and host cities risk creating a fragmented environment, adding that this situation requires a unified federal security posture.
“The National Guard is uniquely positioned to assist federal and state authorities with unified coordination for C-UAS mitigation and World Cup security due to its rapid deployability, nationwide scalability, and extensive experience responding to domestic emergencies,” they wrote.
The Department of Homeland Security, Justice and Defense Department did not respond to requests for comment. The call for military deputation to respond to the drone threat came a day before a gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, raising new security concerns about this year’s World Cup matches.
The White House announced Monday that the game would be held safely following Saturday’s shooting.
“President Trump is committed to ensuring that this is not only a great experience for all fans and attendees, but also the safest experience in history,” White House Press Secretary Davis Ingle said in a statement.
