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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin has hailed the huge security operation surrounding the World Cup, and the cooperation between federal and local law enforcement as “amazing.”
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Chief Correspondent Jonathan Hunt, Mullin said he won’t get a good night’s sleep until July 20, the day after the World Cup Final, but speaking at the Seattle Stadium, Mullin said he’s delighted the security operation is running smoothly even in blue cities like Seattle and Los Angeles. And he hopes leaders in those cities might learn from that.
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“We may disagree on a lot of stuff when it comes to immigration and maybe some other issues,” the secretary said, “but when it comes to protecting the fans and the fans’ experience here, in LA or in other areas around the country we’ve all really worked together and I hope we can carry that on between the state, federal and local partnerships. We can do a good job for our cities when we work together.”
Millions of soccer fans from around the world are experiencing the U.S. for the first time and many, given the media coverage of the Trump administration in their home countries, appeared to expect a high-profile militarized security operation. But that is not what they’ve found.
Much of the work is being done undercover or in the background, a very deliberate choice, Mullin said.
“We want people to enjoy their time,” he added. “We don’t want to feel like they’re walking through a war zone, but we want to let everybody know we’re also working very hard to secure the premises. I don’t care if you’re outside the stadium or you’re inside the stadium, but the amount of officers we have that are dedicated to this from the federal, local to state is absolutely amazing, and we’re doing it together.”
Mullin also paid tribute to the role of the fans, both from the U.S. and overseas, in making this a safe World Cup, and as many have said, possibly the best World Cup experience ever.
“They’re so passionate about it, and they love America,” Mullin said. “I mean, we see in the videos, my wife is absolutely infatuated with the amount of videos going on social media, with the fans that are here from around the world that are getting to experience the greatness of America, which is what it’s all about. We’re like no other nation. I don’t care if you drive the country from coast to coast, you see the most beautiful land and the friendliest people. And we get to showcase it because of President Trump’s vision back in Trump 45 to bring the World Cup here to celebrate our 250th birthday.”
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Mullin admits he didn’t know much about soccer before the World Cup got underway but like so many across the country, he has embraced the sport and is loving every minute of it even as he and his team work 24/7 to ensure everyone is safe. And he’s looking forward to that good night’s sleep on July 20.