The United States has officially entered the bid to host the 2035 World Expo. The candidate city is Miami, Florida, known as a "Trump political stronghold."
U.S. President Donald Trump tapped close confidant Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lead the major project. In his second term, the plan is to achieve an "event grand slam" by securing the World Cup (2026) and Summer Olympics (2028), and now the Expo.
On the 22nd (local time), President Trump said on his social media, Truth Social, "The United States is formally declaring its intention to compete to host the 2035 World Expo." He added in a statement, "The great state of Florida has expressed a strong desire to host the Expo in Miami, and I fully support it."
Trump advanced the rationale that now is the "New Golden Age" of the United States. He emphasized, "Miami 2035 Expo can be the next big milestone in America's new golden age."
He did not hide expectations for the economic impact. Trump said, "By winning this Expo bid, we will create thousands of jobs and add billions of dollars of growth to our economy."
At the same time, Trump appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the representative for this bid. Before becoming secretary of state, Rubio served as a Florida senator for nearly 14 years, building a solid political base in the region.
The Hill analyzed that Rubio's appointment "shows his role within the Trump administration continues to expand." Rubio currently holds key posts across the administration in addition to his secretary of state role, serving as acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and acting archivist of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). On top of the weighty duties of diplomacy, international development, and national records management, he has now been given the special mission of "securing the Expo."
Major outlets reported that Trump's "Miami Expo" plan is in line with his second-term core policy, the MAGA (Make America Great Again) strategy. The United States is already set to host the 2026 North and Central America World Cup (co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico), which was secured during Trump's first term, and the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Summer Olympics. Both events will take place during Trump's second term. If the U.S. also succeeds in winning the 2035 Expo, it will sweep the world's three major events spanning sports and culture.
The Expo, organized by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), is considered one of the world's three major festivals along with the Olympics and the World Cup. It is divided into the World Expo, held roughly every five years, and the Specialized Expo held in between. The World Expo is also called the registered expo. The 2035 Expo that Trump is bidding for is the larger World Expo. Busan's bid for the 2030 Expo, which it lost to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was also a World Expo. The United States has not hosted a World Expo for 42 years since the 1984 New Orleans Expo.
The U.S. government said it aims to reaffirm its leadership on the international stage through this bid and present solutions to challenges facing the world. The Hill reported, "The 2035 Expo, as a registered expo, will serve as a venue to seek solutions to urgent challenges facing humanity." Trump also expressed confidence, saying it would "coordinate and advance an exciting opportunity to bring the world together."
Florida, where Miami—the selected host city—is located, is Trump's "second home" and political heartland. Trump's residence, Mar-a-Lago, is there, and in Nov., the G20 Leaders Summit on Finanical Markets and the World Economy is scheduled to be held at the Miami Trump National Doral golf resort. If Florida pursues hosting the World Expo following the G20 Leaders Summit on Finanical Markets and the World Economy, the state is expected to grow in importance as an undisputed hub of U.S. diplomacy and politics.
Experts say the bid goes beyond simply hosting an event and ties directly to the Trump administration's economic stimulus plan. The idea is to revitalize the Southern U.S. economy through large-scale infrastructure investment and attracting tourists. This is why Trump himself mentioned "billions of dollars of growth."
However, some predict the process will not be smooth. Under the organization's rules, the host city is determined by a vote of member countries, and the winning country welcomes visitors from around the world for six months. Candidate countries usually wage an intense competition starting nine years before the Expo. This time, too, a fierce diplomatic campaign to win over BIE member states is likely to unfold starting this year. Publicly mentioned rival candidates include Germany (Berlin), China (Hong Kong–Shenzhen), and Egypt (the new administrative capital).
U.S. media are treating the World Expo bid declaration as a major story and watching the race ahead. Citing experts, The Hill predicted, "As Rubio takes on the new task of securing the Expo in addition to his role as the State Department's top official, his standing within the Trump administration will become even more solid."