Stinging bipartisan criticism from both Democrats and Republicans have forced president Donald Trump to abandon his plan of hosting the 46th G7 summit at the money-losing Trump National Doral Miami golf resort in South Florida.
Trump's unashamed push to hold the G7 at his resort was widely blasted as one of the worst examples of self-dealing in a presidency. Trump's blatant disregard of the U.S. Constitution has taken the practice to unprecedented levels of corruption, according to Trump critics.
It was only on Thursday that White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney made the announcement Doral had bested what he claimed were 12 other locations for the right to host the G7 summit in 2020. The announcement was immediately blasted by both Democrats and a few Republicans, who called it a blatant violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause in the U.S. Constitution.
The clause is designed to prevent federal officeholders of the United States against "corrupting foreign influences." Had Trump not withdrawn Doral, this brazen example of his using his position as president to benefit his private business would have been used as evidence against him in the ongoing impeachment investigation being conducted by the Democratic Party.
In violation of U.S. laws, Trump has never fully divested himself from his businesses and is also being investigated for this. House Democrats are investigating Trump's blatant self-dealing.
The Oversight and Judiciary committees of the House of Representatives sent letters to the Trump administration in September demanding details about his plan to host the G7 summit at his resort and vice-president Mike Pence's visit to Trump's Ireland resort. Trump ignored the House's letters.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) Executive Director Noah Bookbinder said Trump's decision to hold the G7 at his own property was "outrageous, corrupt and a constitutional violation."
"It was stunningly corrupt even for a stunningly corrupt administration," said Bookbinder. "His reversal of that decision is a bow to reality, but does not change how astonishing it was that a president ever thought this was appropriate, or that it was something he could get away with."
Critics of Trump's initial decision to hold tge G7 at Doral also reveal this deal will revive the sagging fortunes of the golf resort. Doral has been losing money heavily since Trump bought it in 2012.
Doral's net operating income has plummeted by nearly 70 percent since 2015, or from $13.8 million in 2015 to $4.3 million in 2017. U.S. media reported this "steep decline" last May.
Trump began a $250 million renovation of Doral in 2013 that was completed in 2016. Both Trump's purchase of Doral and its renovation were financed by a $125 million loan from Deutsche Bank but failed to improve the revenue and profitability picture for the beleaguered resort.
Mulvaney confirmed Trump isn't concerned hosting the G7 at Doral violates the law.
Critics note Trump has adamantlyt refused to discourage actions that personally enrich his family.
Despite being banned from doing so as president, Trump has or is developing resorts in at least 10 countries, according to Politico. China, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea are helping to develop Trump's properties.
On Sunday, Trump tweeted, "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!"
He blamed his decision on "the Hostile Media & their Democrat Partners."
The search for a new site has begun.
