Two days after the White house said President Donald trump had mandated next year’s G-7 summit to be held at Miami’s Doral national resort, the President tweeted late Saturday that no, in fact, it wouldn’t.
While trump blamed the media and Democrats for having to make the switch, he was sharply criticized from across the political spectrum, including other Republicans, for insisting that public money be spent at a resort owned by his own company – a violation, critics said, of legal restrictions on the President benefiting from financial services.
“I thought I was doing something very good for our country by using Trump National Doral, in Miami, to host the G-7 leaders,” trump wrote on Twitter. “I have announced that I would be willing to do so at NO PROFIT or, if legally permissible, at zero COST in the US. But, as usual, hostile media
Acting White house chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said Sunday morning that trump was “surprised by the level of backlash” and “wanted to put on a show” and “take care of people” by hosting next year’s G-7 summit at his resort.
“At the end of the day, you know, he still considers himself in the hospitality business, and he saw an opportunity to take on the biggest leaders from around the world, and he wanted to promote the absolute best show, the best visit that he possibly can , “Mulvaney said on” Fox News Sunday.” “He was very comfortable doing that in Doral.”
Trump, in a tweet Saturday night, called camp David a possible replacement and said the search for a new site begins “immediately.”
Mulvaney told reporters that trump was the one who originally proposed the Trump Organization-owned property to house the leaders of most of the world’s largest economies – and a White house spokesman told ABC News that the President signed on for the final decision, too.
Trump’s o-face was a rare u-turn for a President who doesn’t like to admit mistakes.
Republicans on Capitol hill are clear that the decision does not sit well with them, adding to growing anger with the President over his decision to withdraw support from Kurdish allies of the United States and growing concern over his administration’s military assistance to Ukraine.
“I think it’s not a good thing to look-you know, in the law, there’s a Canon that says,’ avoid the appearance of wrongdoing, ‘” Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Fla., said, according to the Washington post. “I think it would be better if he didn’t use his hotel for this kind of thing.”
House Democrats, meanwhile, introduced a bill Friday that specifically blocks trump from holding a summit in trump Doral, potentially forcing a vote that would put Republican support – or disapproval-on the record. The decision to hold the summit at trump’s resort will also be added to a lawsuit alleging that trump illegally benefited financially from his office, the democratic Senator said.
Mulvaney said Thursday that trump Doral will hold a summit “at cost” – without specifying exactly how the “cost” will be calculated-to argue that trump will not make a profit. But the summit, which is scheduled to take place from June 10 to June 12 next year, will replenish trump’s resort in South Florida during the otherwise lagging offseason, according to statistics from the local taxpayer-funded tourism Bureau.
The acting chief of staff also denied that the diplomatic meeting, which was attended and supported by thousands of diplomats, journalists and law enforcement officials, and received worldwide media coverage, would provide Trump with a marketing opportunity. He said the President’s brand was ” probably strong enough as it is.”
“You want to know who’s winning? The President wins. Its properties benefit, ” said Robert Passikoff, founder and President of Brand Keys, Inc “And it’s proven time and time again in actual market research.”
Democrats and ethics watchdogs sharply criticized the initial decision to hold the summit there.
“President trump’s conduct as President is a continuing affront to the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause,” Elizabeth Wydra, President of the constitutional accountability ethics watchdog group, told ABC News in a statement. “By treating the G7 summit as a commercial for his business, inviting foreign governments to straighten their pockets and hold the next meeting at his Doral, FL Golf course next year, he’s mocking the Constitution he’s sworn to uphold.”
ABC News ‘ Amanda Maile and Matt foster contributed to this report.
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