Trump looks to spend half a billion dollars on anti-drone defense at 2026 World Cup [View all]
Source: The Independent
Monday 13 October 2025 21:44 BST
Donald Trump’s administration is pulling $500 million from Homeland Security’s massive budget to fortify American skies from drone threats, part of a government-wide anti-drone security strategy to prepare for the 2026 World Cup and other high-profile events.
The move, first reported by Politico, will let state and local governments tap into federal funds to develop anti-drone defenses — including the potential to jam devices or disable them entirely — ahead of dozens of soccer matches across North America.
Federal agencies currently only have authority to intercept and disable unmanned aircraft in restricted areas, though members of Congress are mulling legislation that could expand that authority to state and local law enforcement. If that fails, the Trump administration is considering a backup plan through the Department of Justice that could authorize local cops to take down drones.
“Everybody from the governors to different commissioners of the police in these different cities to the stadium chief security officer say that this is something that they need in order to protect the [World Cup] sites,” White House’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Task Force director Andrew Giuliani told Politico.
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-drones-world-cup-funding-b2844635.html
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