President Trump reportedly reversed his decision to host next year’s G-7 summit at his National Doral Miami resort after pressure from frustrated Republicans who grew weary of defending him.
The president was told in a round of phone calls with conservative allies over the weekend that many Republicans were struggling to defend him on several issues, including his administration’s choice to host the 2020 gathering of world leaders at his Florida club, the Washington Post reported Sunday.
After acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney announced the venue on Thursday, Democrats were quick to slam the move as a violation of the emoluments clause, which prohibits members of the government from receiving gifts from foreign nations, and hinted that they might even add it to the articles of impeachment they are drafting.
A few Republicans expressed disagreement with the decision, including Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Francis Rooney, and most others appeared reluctant to provide the president with political cover.
The White House pushed back on concerns on Saturday, arguing that the president’s property was a “significantly cheaper” option. But Trump later announced that he had changed his mind on having his resort serve as the event’s host site.
He initially defended the choice as something he thought would be “very good for our country” and blamed the reversal on backlash from Democrats and the media. However, several aides and allies told the Washington Post that he did so “in response to pressure and frustration from his own party.”
The controversy came amid scrutiny of the Trump administration’s use of his properties, including military spending at his Scotland Turnberry resort.
