President Donald Trump on Monday strongly pushed the idea of holding next year's G7 summit at his Doral resort in Miami, as he used the world stage to deliver an infomercial for his property twice in one day.
Trump said during a news conference at the end of this year’s summit in the south of France that Doral would make a prime location because of its proximity to the airport.
The president confirmed reports that he was eyeing the Miami property when it’s his turn to host world leaders and their entourages for the annual gathering next year, but cautioned that no final decision had been made.
“My people looked at 12 sites, all good but some were two hours from an airport, some were four hours. They were so far away. Some didn't allow this or they didn't allow that,” he told reporters, before launching into a short sales pitch for the property that was carried live on national television.
“With Doral, we have a series of magnificent buildings, we call them bungalows, they each hold from 50 to 70 very luxurious rooms with magnificent views. we have incredible conference rooms, incredible restaurants, it's like such a natural,” he argued. “We wouldn't have to do the work that they've done here — and they've really done a beautiful job. And what we have also is Miami and we have many hundreds of acres so that in terms of parking, in terms of all of the things that you need, the ballrooms are among the biggest in Florida and the best, it's brand new. And they want — my people wanted it.”
He went on: “I think having it in Miami is fantastic, really fantastic. Having it at that particular place, because of the way it's set up.
Each country can have their own villa or their own bungalow, and they have a lot of units in them, so I think it just works out well.”Even so, he claimed, “from my standpoint, I'm not going to make any money.”
While the president has frequently insisted that he is losing money by becoming president, often citing the legal challenges he’s faced, he has not divested from his companies and vast real estate holdings. He travels to his properties often, visits that have brought in at least $1.6 million in revenue, according to an analysis from The Washington Post earlier this summer.
Trump’s decision not to divest from his corporate empire has drawn scrutiny and legal challenges from ethicists and critics who say that it’s a violation of the Emoluments Clause of the constitution, which bars presidents from accepting outside gifts or payments. Several lawsuits charging that Trump has been improperly receiving emoluments have failed to gain traction.
Earlier Monday, during a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump first hinted that Doral could be the location of next year’s G7, suggesting it was a strong contender.
“We haven’t found anything that’s even close to competing with it,” he told reporters.
Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine