Trump drops plans to hold G7 summit at his Miami golf resort

Donald Trump has abandoned plans to host next year’s G7 summit at one of his own golf resorts after a maelstrom of criticism from across the political spectrum.

Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney announced on Thursday that the 2020 meeting of world leaders would be held at the Trump National Doral Miami private resort owned by the president’s family.

The decision, which came out of the blue, with apparently no advance notice to Miami Dade police who would be responsible for security, was immediately criticised by Congressional lawmakers, including some of the president’s Republican allies.

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The Guardian says the choice of venue “was widely condemned as the most egregious example yet of the president abusing his position to enrich himself and his business”, noting the resort “was in need of a boost” after the Washington Post reported that its operating income had fallen 69% since 2015.

CNN says the move to host the summit at Trump’s property “had added to deep fractures in the President’s relationships with some allies in Congress already upset with his decision to pull troops out of Syria”.

The growing backlash led to Trump firing off a series of late night tweets saying he was reversing the decision because of “crazed and irrational hostility” by his political opponents and the media.

The Independent says the “rare backtrack from the US president came after Democrats in the house and the Senate had moved to block Trump’s plan amid concerns over conflicts of interest”.

Watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington accused the president of “using the power of his office to help prop up his struggling golf business”.

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Despite claims by the White House that the event would be run “at cost” or without profit, and so save millions of dollars, the BBC says “critics pointed out the resort would stand to gain publicity from the allocation”.

The House of Representatives had been expected to vote this week on a resolution condemning the decision, while Democrats also planned to require the White House to present information to justify why the administration decided on Doral.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was among those who suggested the decision violated the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which prohibits the president from accepting gifts and money from foreign governments.

It is not the first time Trump has faced questions over the use of his private resorts for government business. Last month, the US Air Force ordered a review of its accommodation after it emerged some personnel had been staying at one of his Scottish golf resorts.