MLS commissioner Don Garber said that his social media account on X was "compromised" on Wednesday evening, and that is the reason for an inflammatory social media post from his X account that taunted British Columbia Premier David Eby over the Premier's pledge that he was "fighting hard" to prevent the Vancouver Whitecaps from being relocated.
Eby delivered a 45-second video post from his X account on Thursday, in which he told the team's fans that "The Whitecaps are British Columbia, and I want you to know that we are at the table fighting hard to save the Whitecaps."
A direct reply to the post from Garber's X account simply said "Liar liar pants on fire."
Garber posted on X about an hour later stating that "My account was compromised earlier this evening. The issue has been resolved. I appreciate Premier Eby for taking the time to meet with me today."
The reply to Eby's post has since been deleted. An MLS spokesman attributed the post to a "random person," but didn't elaborate on how that individual gained access to Garber's X account.
The MLS executive vice president of communications, Dan Courtemanche, later wrote in a message on X: "Commissioner Garber was hacked and did not post this."
Garber is in Vancouver to not only speak to government leaders about the Whitecaps, but also to attend Thursday's FIFA Congress.
The incident took place at a time when the Whitecaps future in Vancouver is in doubt. The club has been up for sale since December of 2024, and according to the Whitecaps, despite "serious conversations with over 100 parties, no viable offer has emerged that would keep the club here."
While it is the stated preference of both MLS and the Whitecaps to keep the team in Vancouver, MLS has begun exploring the possibility of relocating the team.
Sources told ESPN earlier this week that a subcommittee of owners met earlier this month to discuss the issue, and that investor groups from Phoenix and Las Vegas had expressed strong interest in acquiring the Whitecaps, and the moving the team, which would include an as yet unspecified relocation fee.
In terms of keeping the team in Vancouver, the Whitecaps' stadium economics are the primary sticking point.
The Whitecaps currently play at BC Place, which is owned by the Provincial Crown Corporation, PavCo.
The team recently signed a new lease to play its games at BC Place with improved economic terms, including a return of $1-$1.5 million in revenue that PavCo makes from renting the venue to the Whitecaps. But Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster has said that the improved terms aren't enough to make the team economically viable.
Last December, the Whitecaps and the City of Vancouver signed a memorandum of understanding on the potential development of a new stadium and entertainment district in Hastings Park.
But that at the time of the announcement, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim admitted that the process would take "four-plus years," a timeline that apparently isn't quick enough for MLS.
Meanwhile, the team's fans have started a "Save the Caps" movement, with banners and signs containing the slogan appearing at last weekend's match against the Colorado Rapids.
