Trump bows to pressure as he reveals that the G7 summit will no longer be held at his Doral golf resort, blaming the media and Democrat's 'irrational hostility' after he tried to claim the offer would have been for 'no profit' (6 Pics)
President Donald Trump has announced that Trump National Doral will no longer host the G7 summit in 2020, blaming the 'media and democrat crazed and irrational hostility.'
Trump bemoaned that the decision to 'no longer consider' his own property for the massive summit came after he was blasted by intense criticism from the two parties.
He added: 'We will begin the search for another site, including the possibility of Camp David, immediately. Thank you!'
The move followed a furious backlash over the announcement the G7 would be held at one of his own businesses.
Chief of staff Mick Mulvaney had previously touted Trump's offer, claiming it was 'vastly cheaper' than other venues because president was offering it 'at cost'. He did not mention the benefits that the prestige of the event, and the connections it could afford his property, would have on the business.
Trump's U-turn came just 30 minutes after he tweeted his reasoning for wanting to host the summit on his own grounds.
Trump bemoaned that the decision to 'no longer consider' his own property for the massive summit came after he was blasted by intense criticism from the two parties
'I thought I was doing something very good for our Country by using Trump National Doral, in Miami, for hosting the G-7 Leaders,' he exclaimed. 'It is big, grand, on hundreds of acres, next to MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, has tremendous ballrooms & meeting rooms, and each delegation would have its own 50 to 70 unit building. Would set up better than other alternatives.
'I announced that I would be willing to do it at NO PROFIT or, if legally permissible, at ZERO COST to the USA. But, as usual, the Hostile Media & their Democrat Partners went CRAZY!'
Many in the thread for those tweets pointed out that hosting the summit would violate the emoluments clause which bans the president from taking 'any present, emolument or office' from a foreign state.
And while Trump claimed that the summit would be at no profit, skeptics pointed out that the catering and amenities would more than likely also come from Doral. Others noted that the attention to Doral would serve as free advertisement for the resort.
The announcement came just 30 minutes after Trump tweeted his reasonings for wanting to host the summit on his own grounds.
Trump claimed that he was willing to host the event for 'no profit' but failed to mention the free advertising he would get from having the event
Donald Trump wanted to host next year's Group of Seven economic summit of developed world leaders at one of his own properties, the Trump National Doral golf resort near Miami, the White House said on Thursday.
White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told reporters the summit would take place there on June 10-12, 2020, calling it 'the perfect physical location to do this.'
Trump had floated the possibility during his visit to France for this year's G7 meeting in August, touting the resort's size and its proximity to the Miami airport, though he insisted he would not directly profit from the choice.
And while Trump claimed that the summit would be at no profit, skeptics pointed out that the catering and amenities would more than likely also come from Doral
Mulvaney told reporters in the White House press briefing room that it would be 'vastly cheaper' than other places and the Trump Organization was charging 'cost.'
'There's no issue here on him profiting from this in any way, shape or form,' he said.
He claimed that one rival venue was ruled out because it would have needed 'oxygen tanks' for participants.
Mulvaney said that it was in fact Trump who had suggested adding his own resort to the shortlist.
He said that a group of staff had met with the president to discuss a shortlist for the G7 venues and Trump said: 'What about Doral?'
Mulvaney said: 'You know what that's not the craziest idea we have ever heard.'
'It makes perfect sense,' he said.
Winner: The Trump resort in Doral, just outside Miami, will host the G7 in June next year
White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told reporters the G7 summit would take place at Trump Doral on June 10-12, 2020.
But asked by DailyMail.com if the White House would reveal a paper trail of how it decided to select Doral, Mulvaney said: 'If you want to see how we did this, the answer is no.'
The chief of staff said that he knew in advance of the decision that critics would ask if it was a breach of the emoluments clause which bans the president from taking 'any present, emolument or office' from a foreign state.
Mulvaney said that because the president would not 'profit,' the move was perfectly legal.
'There's no issue here on him profiting from this in any way, shape or form,' Mulvaney said.
'We're going to have it there, and there's going to be folks who will never get over the fact that it's a Trump property. We get that, but we're still going there.
'The president knows exactly that he's going to get these questions and he's simply saying that's fine - I'm willing to take that.'
Mulvaney said that he knew people would see it as 'a huge branding opportunity,' but claimed that the president's brand is already 'the biggest in the world.'
'Donald Trump's brand is probably strong enough as it is,' Mulvaney said.
'It's the most recognizable name in the English language and probably around the world right now.'
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.
Mulvaney said that there had been an initial list of 12 venues, of which 10 were visited by an 'advance team.' They were in states including California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee and Utah.
They were whittled down to four finalists visited by a 'senior team,' with two venues in Utah and one in Hawaii losing out to Doral.
y to host this type of event.'
At two points he mistakenly called Doral 'Mar-a-Lago,' offering more airtime to another Trump property.
Trump has repeatedly attacked Joe Biden, a leading Democratic presidential candidate and former vice-president, over his son's business ties in Ukraine and China, which Trump has repeatedly called corrupt, without evidence.
Asked how the president's use of his private business properties to host official government events differed from Trump's allegations against the Bidens, Mulvaney told reporters there would be no profit and said the family had made their money before Trump became president in January 2017.
'That's very different,' he claimed. 'There's no profit here, clearly there's profit with the Bidens.'
Trump has said he is not involved with the day-to-day operations of his private company and that his sons run the business.
Within minutes of the announcement, Democrats called the decision 'a clear effort to use the power of the Presidency for self-enrichment.'
The House Appropriations Committee said it had already put forward bans on the federal government spending money at Trump resorts to prepare for a G7 summit and challenged Senate Republicans to follow suit.
'As we prepare to negotiate final appropriations bills, Senate Republicans will have to choose whether to stand up to this blatant corruption or once again allow President Trump to violate basic norms and profit off the Presidency,' the Democrats said in a statement.
House Judiciary Chairman Jerold Nadler fumed: 'The Administration's announcement that President Trump's Doral Miami resort will be the site of the next G7 summit is among the most brazen examples yet of the President's corruption. He is exploiting his office and making official U.S. government decisions for his personal financial gain. The Emoluments Clauses of the Constitution exist to prevent exactly this kind of corruption.'
Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland told the Washington Post Democrats could schedule a resolution of disapproval on the issue, and that it could figure in their impeachment plans. Under the constitution, 'emoluments' are only allowed with the express approval of Congress.
Although such a resolution would not carry the weight of law, the House would be on record against it, and Democrats could include the issue in a general emoluments aspect to their impeachment inquiry.
'The president's conversion of his public office into an instrument of private profit and political reelection is the cardinal sin of his presidency,' Raskin told the paper. 'The government is not the president's private property. The emoluments clauses are essential to framing the high crimes and misdemeanors of the president,' he said.
June is one of the hottest months in Miami, with average temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mulvaney repeatedly said the president would not profit on the G7 – although Doral has seen a steep slump in revenue since Trump took office, and experience high vacancy rates in June.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has already filed a lawsuit saying hosting the G-7 at Doral would violate the Constitution's Emoluments Clause.
'There is now no question that the American government is being used as a public relations and marketing subsidiary of the Trump Organization,' said the group's executive director, Noah Bookbinder.
