Donald Trump

White House: US to Host Next G-7 Summit at Trump National Doral Miami

The announcement Thursday comes at the same time that the president has accused Joe Biden's family of profiting from public office

The White House said Thursday it has chosen President Donald Trump's golf resort near Miami as the site for next year's Group of Seven summit.

The announcement to hold the event at Trump National Doral comes at the same time the president has accused Joe Biden's family of profiting from public office because of Hunter Biden's business activities in Ukraine when his father was vice president.

The G-7 summit will be held June 10 to 12. The idea of holding the event at Trump's resort has been criticized by Democrats and government ethics watchdogs alike.

Trump has touted his resort, saying it's close to the airport, has plenty of hotel rooms and offers separate buildings for every delegation.

A team looking at the sites reported that it was "the perfect physical location to do this," acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said. He said about a dozen potential sites were narrowed to a list of four finalists before Doral was selected.

"It became apparent at the end of that process that Doral was by far and away, far and away, the best physical facility for this meeting," Mulvaney said.

Mulvaney said that holding the event at Doral would be dramatically cheaper than other sites and that Trump would not be profiting from the event.

"There's no issue here on him profiting from this in any way, shape or form," Mulvaney said.

Several major Democratic lawmakers have already expressed concerns about a potential conflict of interest for the president.
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said in a statement Thursday that the decision "is one of the most egregious examples of corruption and self-dealing in the most corrupt presidency in our history. Foreign governments should not be forced to line Donald Trump’s pockets to attend the G-7, and I would urge them to seek accommodation elsewhere. There is no shortage of hotels in the Miami area and our allies should not have to further Donald Trump’s violations of the emoluments clause of the Constitution. Congress needs answers as to how Doral was chosen despite obvious impropriety and should work to defund this effort to force the G-7 to be held elsewhere.”

Democratic lawmakers have already expressed concerns about a potential conflict of interest for the president and have questioned the White House's decision-making process.

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., in a statement Thursday called the decision "one of the most egregious examples of corruption and self-dealing in the most corrupt presidency in our history" and said foreign governments should not be forced "to line Donald Trump’s pockets"

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., accused the president of "exploiting his office and making official U.S. government decisions for his personal financial gain." Nadler asserted that the House Judiciary Committee will look into the matter while continuing its investigation into the president's possible interference in the 2020 election.

"The Emoluments Clauses of the Constitution exist to prevent exactly this kind of corruption," Nadler said, referring to the clause that restricts government officials from receiving gifts or money from foreign governments.

Some watchdog groups disagreed with Mulvaney's assessment.

Trump "no longer sees fit even to pretend that he is constrained by the law or the Constitution," said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen.

"The president is now officially using the power of his office to help prop up his struggling golf business," said Noah Bookbinder, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

When the United States has hosted the summit before, it has been held in Puerto Rico; Williamsburg, Virginia; Houston; Denver; Sea Island, Georgia; and Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland.

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