Tag: G-7

Pompeo, G-7 foreign ministers spar over ‘Wuhan virus’

At issue is whether to link the coronavirus directly to China.

WASHINGTON — Foreign ministers from the Group of 7 leading industrialized democracies sparred Wednesday over whether to call out China as the source of the coronavirus pandemic.

Meeting by video conference because of the outbreak, the ministers agreed on the need for joint efforts to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus, which causes a disease being called COVID-19. But U.S. and European diplomats said the ministers were unable to agree on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s call for the virus to be identified by name as the “Wuhan virus.”

As a result, just a day after G-7 finance ministers and central bankers issued a joint communique referring to the COVID-19 virus, the foreign ministers opted against releasing a group statement. U.S, officials pointed to Tuesday’s finance ministers’ statement to reject suggestions of G-7 disunity and said the foreign ministers had never intended to release their own communique. Continue reading.

White House scraps G-7 summit in favor of videoconference due to coronavirus

The Hill logoThis summer’s Group of Seven (G-7) summit has been scrapped due to concerns over the coronavirus, the White House confirmed Thursday.

World leaders will instead convene via videoconference.

The annual summit was scheduled to take place from June 10-12 at the Camp David retreat in Maryland and would have attracted hundreds of officials, journalists and staff to the area. Continue reading.

Trump reversed course on hosting G-7 at his club after learning that impeachment-weary Republicans were tired of defending him

Washington Post logoPresident Trump was forced to abandon his decision to host next year’s Group of Seven summit at his private golf club after it became clear the move had alienated Republicans and swiftly become part of the impeachment inquiry that threatens his presidency.

In a round of phone calls with conservative allies this weekend, Trump was told Republicans are struggling to defend him on so many fronts, according to an administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.

Democrats, meanwhile, continued to blast Trump for awarding the massive government contract to his own company and said they might add the alleged “emoluments” violation to the articles of impeachment they are preparing.

View the complete October 20 article by Toluse Olorunnipa, Josh Dawsey and David A. Fahrenthold on The Washington Post website here.

Trump says his Doral resort will no longer host G-7 after backlash

The Hill logoPresident Trump on Saturday said he would no longer host next year’s Group of Seven (G-7) summit at his Doral resort after intense backlash from Democrats, ethics watchdogs and some Republican lawmakers.

The reversal came two days after the White House announced that Trump National Doral near Miami would host the gathering of world leaders next June. The decision was widely panned by critics who viewed it as a brazen move for the president to enrich his family brand.

Trump tweeted Sunday night, “Thought I was doing something very good for our Country by using Trump National Doral, in Miami, for hosting the G-7 Leaders,” boasting of the property’s proximity to major airports and its physical spaces.

View the complete October 19 article by Brett Samuels on The Hill website here.

Fox Reporter Stunned By Plan To Hold G-7 Session At Trump Doral

Fox News journalist Chris Stirewalt on Thursday appeared stunned by Donald Trump’s decision to host the 2020 G-7 meeting at his Doral resort in Miami, FL, describing the decision as “an unnecessary problem to create for himself.”

Stirewalt spoke with host Harris Faulkner after the president’s Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told reporters the the next G-7 summit will be held at a Trump property.

“I got to tell you, the idea that this administration, dealing with what this administration is dealing with, right? A lot. You’ve for the unraveling in Syria, you’ve got the march toward Trump impeachment here at home, breaking news story every day,” Stirewalt began. “The world is on fire.”

View the complete October 17 article by Elizabeth Preza from AlterNet on the National Memo website here.

Trump’s Doral resort to host G-7 summit next year

The Hill logoThe United States will host the 2020 Group of Seven (G-7) summit at Trump National Doral, a resort property near Miami owned by President Trump‘s family.

The summit will take place June 10-12, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told reporters Thursday at the White House. The decision is certain to spark challenges from Democrats and ethics watchdog groups who will argue that the president is seeking to enrich his family’s brand by bringing world leaders to a Trump property.

“We thought of the 12 places that we looked at… this was by far and away the best choice,” Mulvaney said.

View the complete October 17 article by Brett Samuels on The Hill website here.

Netanyahu tried to reach Trump to block Zarif meeting

Axios logoWhile Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was making his way to France for a surprise visit at the G7 summit on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team scrambled to make sure President Trump wouldn’t meet with him, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.

Netanyahu frantically tried to get President Trump on the phone — who was in back-to-back meetings and couldn’t take the call — while his office contacted multiple senior Trump administration officials, trying to connect the two leaders.

Between the lines: The Israelis were worried that Trump — who loves making a deal and relishes the drama of an unconventional meeting (think Kim Jong-un) — would let French President Emmanuel Macron talk him into holding an unscheduled meeting with Zarif.

View the complete August 29 article by Jonathan Swan and Barak Ravid on the Axios website here.

Sixty-eight minutes in Biarritz: A glimpse into Trump’s unorthodox mind

Washington Post logoThe Debrief: An occasional series offering a reporter’s insights

BIARRITZ, France —  For many minutes on Monday, President Trump stood on foreign soil at the close of the Group of Seven summit here and trashed his predecessor. He bragged about his personal properties from the presidential podium and suggested that he will hold next year’s G-7 gathering at his Doral golf course in Florida, which has “incredible” conference rooms and “magnificent” bungalows.

And he defended both Vladi­mir Putin and Kim Jong Un, suggesting that the Russian strongman deserves an invite to future G-7 summits and that the North Korean dictator is an honorable man who will not let Trump down.

The U.S. president’s news conference here was presaged by an aide saying Trump would answer anything if the first two questions stayed on topic. Trump seemed more interested when the questions went off topic — and for 68 minutes in a seaside auditorium, he offered a lens into his un­or­tho­dox mind, a range of false or dubious statements, and the myriad ways he has changed the presidency in 31 months.

View the complete August 26 article by Josh Dawsey on The Washington Post website here.

Trump says Miami will probably host next year’s G-7 summit — at his own Doral resort

Greater Miami is likely to host next year’s G-7 summit of world leaders — and President Donald Trump now says his own Doral resort is a good bet to be the home site.

Speaking to reporters from France, which is hosting the ongoing Group of 7 summit, Trump acknowledged for the first time Monday morning that he may select his flagship property for the annual gathering of the world’s most powerful people.

The White House later tweeted a video of Trump praising his Miami-area hotel during a subsequent press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, writing “President @realDonaldTrump shares the location of the next @G7 summit, hosted by the United States!”

View the complete August 26 article by David Smiley on The Miami Herald website here.

Trump is lobbying hard to bring Russia back to the G8

And he’s trying to blame Obama for Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

President Donald Trump on Monday doubled down on his effort to bring Russia back into the G7.

Speaking from the annual G7 summit in Biarritz, France, Trump said he supported Russia’s return to what was previously the G8, even though many other members of the group were critical of the idea. Russia itself has also said it does not want to return.

Trump had apparently been lobbying to bring Russia back throughout the weekend, leading to what The Guardian reported were “heated exchanges” with other world leaders. Only outgoing Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte supported his idea.

View the complete August 26 article by Zack Ford on the ThinkProgress website here.