Trump to host next year's G7 summit at his Florida golf resort - White House

White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney announces that the G7 will be held at Trump National Doral, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney announces that the G7 will be held at Trump National Doral, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Published Oct 17, 2019

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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. 

REUTERS

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