WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump
will host next year's Group of Seven economic summit of
developed world leaders at one of his own properties, the Trump
National Doral golf resort near Miami, a White House official
said on Thursday.
White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said Trump
would not profit from use of the property and defended the
decision, which comes as the president faces ongoing criticism
and congressional investigations over his finances and potential
conflicts-of-interest.
Mulvaney told reporters the summit would take place at Doral
on June 10-12, 2020, and that the administration selected
Trump's resort after initially looking at about 12 potential
locations in various other U.S. states.
"Doral was by far and away the best physical facility for
this meeting," he said at a news briefing. "It's almost like
they built this facility to host this event."
Mulvaney said the event would be "at cost" and that using
the Trump site would save millions of dollars and was cheaper
than the other potential sites.
Trump has repeatedly attacked Joe Biden, a leading
Democratic presidential candidate and former vice-president,
over his son's business ties in Ukraine and China, which Trump
has repeatedly called corrupt, without evidence.
Asked how the president's use of his private business
properties to host official government events differed from
Trump's allegations against the Bidens, Mulvaney told reporters
there would be no profit and said the family had made their
money before Trump became president in January 2017.
Trump has said he is not involved with the day-to-day
operations of his private company and that his sons run the
business.