U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the U.S. would no longer host next year's Group of Seven (G-7) summit at his Doral golf resort in Miami after backlash from Democrats and ethics watchdog groups.
"I thought I was doing something very good for our Country by using Trump National Doral, in Miami, for hosting the G-7 Leaders," Trump said on Twitter, boasting the complex's size and proximity to Miami International Airport.
On Thursday, the White House announced that Trump National Doral would host the summit in June and Trump was immediately criticized for mixing his personal business and official capacity. The decision was viewed as an attempt by the president to influence foreign governments on his behalf.
Democrat Representative Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he would investigate the "most brazen" example of how Trump breached the emoluments clause of the country's constitution, which forbids U.S. state officials from deriving certain kinds of economic benefits from their office.
The Constitutional Accountability Center, an ethics watchdog group, accused Trump of "mocking the Constitution" by treating the summit like a commercial for his businesses.
"I announced that I would be willing to do it at NO PROFIT or, if legally permissible, at ZERO COST to the USA. But, as usual, the Hostile Media their Democrat Partners went CRAZY!" said Trump.
"Therefore, based on both Media Democrat Crazed and Irrational Hostility, we will no longer consider Trump National Doral, Miami, as the Host Site for the G-7 in 2020," he said, adding: "We will begin the search for another site, including the possibility of Camp David, immediately. Thank you!"
