Tag: Trump Doral

Trump’s Doral resort was a last-minute addition in search for G-7 site, newly released email shows

Washington Post logoSecret Service agents had identified four U.S. sites as finalists for next year’s Group of Seven summit — but then they were told to add a new finalist: President Trump’s Doral resort, according to an internal Secret Service email released late Friday.

“Our original itinerary included Hawaii, Utah, California and North Carolina,” a Secret Service official wrote, describing a trip that a team of Secret Service personnel took in July to examine the finalists. “By departure, they had already cut two (California and North Carolina) and added Miami on the back end.”

“Miami” meant President Trump’s resort near the Miami airport, which hadn’t been among the original 10 sites that the Secret Service team had vetted. Although vetting of possible sites had begun in late May, the official wrote on July 12 that “yesterday was the first time we put eyes on this [Doral] property.”

View the complete November 15 article by David A. Fahrenthold and Josh Dawsey on The Washington Post website here.

Trump dismisses ‘phony Emoluments Clause’ after Doral criticism

The Hill logoPresident Trump on Monday dismissed criticism that his since-reversed plan to host the Group of Seven (G-7) summit at his Doral property would have led to an ethics violation.

“I don’t think you people, with this phony Emoluments Clause — and by the way, I would say that it’s cost anywhere from $2 billion to $5 billion to be president,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

The Emoluments Clause prohibits elected federal officials from receiving gifts or contributions from foreign governments. Trump has repeatedly claimed the presidency has cost him billions of dollars.

View the complete October 21 article by Brett Samuels on The Hill website here.

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.

Internet piles on ‘humiliated’ Trump for whining about pulling G7 summit from his golf resort

AlterNet logoLate Saturday Donald Trump took to Twitter to announce that he was no longer going to be holding next year’s G7 at his Doral golf resort, whining about pressure that he claims came from Democrats and the media.

As Trump sees it, “Therefore, based on both Media & Democrat Crazed and Irrational Hostility, we will no longer consider Trump National Doral, Miami, as the Host Site for the G-7 in 2020. We will begin the search for another site, including the possibility of Camp David, immediately. Thank you!”

Reaction to Trump’s capitulation was swift and harsh, with one Twitter commenter pointing out, “Once again, the Sociopath-in-Chief is embarrassed and humiliated into backpedaling away from yet another moronic, corrupt decision.”

View the complete October 20 article by Tom Boggioni from Raw Story on the AlterNet 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 has awarded next year’s G-7 summit of world leaders to his Miami-area resort, the White House said

Washington Post logoPresident Trump has awarded the 2020 Group of Seven summit of world leaders to his private company, scheduling the summit for June at his Trump National Doral Miami golf resort in Florida, the White House announced Thursday.

That decision is without precedent in modern American history: The president used his public office to direct a huge contract to himself.

Trump’s Doral resort — set among office parks near Miami International Airport — has been in sharp decline in recent years, according to the Trump Organization’s own records. Its net operating income fell 69 percent from 2015 to 2017; a Trump Organization representative testified last year that the reason was Trump’s damaged brand.

View the complete October 17 article by Toluse Olorunnipa, David A. Fahrenthold and Jonathan O’Connell on The Washington Post website here.