Trump: Let’s Have Next Year’s G-7 Summit At My Place!
[guest post by Dana]
Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution prohibits any person holding a government office from accepting any present, emolument, office, or title from any “King, Prince, or foreign State,” without congressional consent. This clause is meant to prevent external influence and corruption of American officers by foreign States. A similar provision was included in the Articles of Confederation, applicable to both federal and state officers. The language of the modern clause, however, suggests that only federal government officials are prohibited from accepting any emoluments.
President Trump insists he wouldn’t profit financially from hosting next year’s G-7 meeting Trump National Doral Miami Golf Resort:
The US is next up to host the G7 in 2020. Trump said while he hasn’t made a final decision on where to host the summit, officials “haven’t found anything that’s even close to competing with it.”
Trump… highlighted the pros of hosting the summit at his club, saying that it could “handle whatever happens” and repeated several times that it is a short drive to Miami’s international airport.
Trump is sure to receive criticism if he goes through with the idea and will face questions about whether he stands to profit financially from the large summit. Trump has received such criticism in the past for hosting foreign leaders, including China’s President Xi Jinping, at his Mar-a-Lago Golf Club in Florida.
…Trump defended the possibility of hosting the next G7 summit at the golf club and claimed he will not make any money from hosting, adding, “It’s not about me, it’s about getting the right location.”
Trump told reporters he “couldn’t care less” about making money. “The only thing I care about is this country,” Trump added.
Trump said that the administration has looked at 12 different sites for the summit, but said his Doral-Miami club is the best choice in terms of location and infrastructure.
“My people wanted it,” Trump said about the club, adding, “I’m not going to make any money.”
Trump also stressed that the large club and resort could easily accommodate the large presence of G7 leaders, delegations and press.
In spite of Trump insisting that he doesn’t care about money [Ed. eye-roll…], and wouldn’t profit from hosting the G-7, there are certainly very real concerns about hosting the summit at Doral:
Hosting the G7 Summit — consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States — at any of his properties would exacerbate claims that Trump is profiting from the presidency in violation of the so-called Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Trump is already facing lawsuits over similar allegations, primarily about his hotel in Washington, D.C.
Not everyone in his orbit is on board with the idea, citing ethical concerns:
The Washington Post reports that Trump has long pushed to hold next year’s G7 at the Doral but has seen some internal resistance from people concerned about the ethics of such a decision. The problem is that Trump has never divested from his company, the Trump Organization, meaning he would personally profit from the summit’s coming to the Doral.
He dismissed the concerns speaking to reporters Monday. “In my opinion, I’m not going to make any money,” he said. He added that being president costs him between $3 billion and $5 billion a year, a claim he said he would soon back up with evidence.
Here’s a look at how Doral is performing, and it’s not good news:
Trump’s presidency so far seems to have harmed Trump Doral’s bottom line. In a meeting with a magistrate for the Miami-Dade Value Adjustment Board in December 2018, a consultant hired by the Trump Organization said the hotel is “severely under-performing.” The consultant cited lower occupancy and room rates at the Doral hotel compared to its competitors and an 18 percent slump in revenue from 2015 to 2017 as reasons to lower the property’s value.
Given that, it’s easy to see how hosting the G-7 next year might benefit the resort, and turn its fortunes around:
Beyond the money paid directly to the club to cover the costs of hosting an international event, iconic visits to Mar-a-Lago, like the 2017 summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, helped increase international tourism to the property, bringing in a steady, albeit small, stream of revenue to the then-struggling property.
P.S. Trump also said that he would invite Putin to next year’s G-7, which would be permissible because host countries can invite any world leaders to attend, even if they are not members of the G-7:
“Would I invite him? I would certainly invite him. Whether or not he could come psychologically, I think that’s a tough thing for him to do,” Trump said during a press conference at the close of this weekend’s G-7 summit in France.
Russia was expelled in 2014 from what was then the G-8 over its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. It has faced additional international backlash for interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and poisoning a former spy living in the United Kingdom.
But Trump has in each of the last two years floated readmitting Russia to the group.
“I think it would be better to have Russia inside the tent than outside the tent,” Trump said Monday. “Do we live either way? Yes, we live either way. Is it politically popular for me to say that? Possibly not.”
(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)
–Dana
The only thing I care about is this country,
Well, I absolutely believe that you care about the country. It’s just that I think you care about money (and your brand) more.
Dana (fdf131) — 8/26/2019 @ 2:33 pmthe easier bet would have been not to run, and wouldn’t have incurred such scrutiny, the obamas sold out to so many countries and interests, and were rewarded by bertelsman, by the big bankers, by those average folk on martha’s vineyard,
narciso (d1f714) — 8/26/2019 @ 2:57 pmOh s’il te plait!
The Trumps were boycotted out of Macys, Nordstrom, etc., et al., while The Clinton Fdn Tip Jar collected millions from foreign countries while she was SOS.
We’re ahead in transgender bathrooms on submarines, but behind on hypersonic weapons.
Liberal politicians get paid speaking gigs at college commencements, while conservatives can’t even eat a meal they pay for w/o being hounded out of the place.
Angela Davis and Bill Ayres get college professorships, but Kyle whats his name from Florida can’t even go to a college he was admitted to.
But, I’m supposed to wring my hands with the “Never Trump Club,” –“oh c’est terrible!” because T-Man, who bled money to put Gorsach and Kav on the court wants to hold one meeting at his place?
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:14 pmFlorida in hurricane season? Have you forgotten the typhoon, Captain, sir?!
Strawberries by the quart available at Camp David.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:14 pmI hope they don’t pick Doral, simply because it’s a horrible location in terms of traffic. Dignitaries flying in and out of Miami will clog up the airport, and Doral is not close close to the airport, but close enough to it to mess up commercial traffic because of security concerns. (One common flight path into/out of the airport passes near, if not directly over, the resort.)
Kishnevi (e3cbf2) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:15 pmI heard the traffic around Biarritz, was insane, this time around, probably some hotel in dc will host it, ritz carlton, or some such,
narciso (d1f714) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:18 pm“Would I invite him? I would certainly invite him. Whether or not he could come psychologically, I think that’s a tough thing for him to do,” Trump said during a press conference at the close of this weekend’s G-7 summit in France.
Well, if Putin can be there physically then who cares whether or not he’s there psychologically? Do you think the President himself will be there psychologically (well, I guess he will if it’s at his resort)? How about Boris or Mrs. Merkel? Does anyone really know for certain whether M. Macron has a psyche?
JVW (54fd0b) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:20 pmThe hell with it: Trump should either host it in Williamsport, PA immediately upon completion of the Little League World Series (in fact, make everyone show up for the final game), or he should have it in West Baltimore as a way to make up with Elijah Cummings.
JVW (54fd0b) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:22 pmThere are other Trump properties.
Kishnevi (e3cbf2) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:24 pmHow about Charlottesville?
https://www.trump.com/hotels/albemarle-estate-charlottesville-virginia
Also Las Vegas, Chicago, and of course New York City.
How about Charlottesville?
With an opening night tiki torch parade!
JVW (54fd0b) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:27 pmHm, the question is, kishnevi, do they need a financial boost??
Dana (fdf131) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:28 pmOmg, that sailed right over my not-blonde head!Charlottesville !
Dana (fdf131) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:30 pmIt has a vineyard, so Macron will feel more at home.
Kishnevi (e3cbf2) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:37 pmVirginia is trying to boost itself as a winery state.
All joking aside, I checked Wikipedia to see what U.S. cities have hosted past G8/G7 meetings. Here they are:
1976 – Dorado, Puerto Rico
1983 – Williamsburg, VA
1990 – Houston, TX
1997 – Denver, CO
2004 – Sea Island, GA
2012 – Chicago, IL (originally) then moved to Camp David, MD
Wikipedia seems to think that it’s a done deal that it will be in Miami. I do think it’s probably a pretty good idea for Trump to hold the meeting in a swing state, provided he doesn’t do something weird to screw things up. So, given that, here is where else he should consider:
Wisconsin Dells, WI
JVW (54fd0b) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:38 pmMackinac Island, MI
Hershey, PA
Duluth, MN (and Superior, WI)
Lake Tahoe, NV (but don’t let anyone come over from the California side)
Taos, NM
Because that suggests that there are locales that would indeed be suitable to host the world leaders, and have the necessary space and infrastructure, etc., in spite of what Trump said, it becomes more suspect that he wants it at his resort…where he could benefit.
Dana (fdf131) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:44 pmMelania and Ivanka can put on bustiers with fishnet tights and six-inch heels and go around with wooden trays suspended from their necks saying “Cigarettes! Matches! Chewing gum!” Junior and Eric can have raincoats lined with watches.
Our President! An orange-skinned New York street peddler.
nk (dbc370) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:44 pmBurlington Vermont. I mean Keane New Hampshire!
mg (8cbc69) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:46 pmI remember when the held the oas forum in Miami, that was 1994, it was in the downtown area,
narciso (d1f714) — 8/26/2019 @ 3:48 pmAnd, BTW, this is not Emoluments Clause. It’s straight out Bribery. Paying a public official for the performance of an official function.
nk (dbc370) — 8/26/2019 @ 4:02 pmIts;not emoluments and it’s not bribery because whatever thery pay is fair market vakue and nobody suggesst differently. It’s a possible conflict of interest.
I would think Trump wants it there, not for the money, but because it just would be more congenial to him and more to his liking to have the summit take place somewhere familiar. (there is of course acertain element of advertising)
Sammy Finkelman (c95a5a) — 8/26/2019 @ 4:10 pmThe Republican convention was once held in Minnesota around this time of the year, and it still was cut short because of hurricane fears.
Sammy Finkelman (c95a5a) — 8/26/2019 @ 4:12 pmTrump advertises the place just by traveling there with the press following. And also his gof course in New Jersey.
Sammy Finkelman (c95a5a) — 8/26/2019 @ 4:14 pmOne, Trump cares more about his personal wealth than his country, else he wouldn’t have pursued a real estate deal with a hostile foriegn power while running for president.
Paul Montagu (a2342d) — 8/26/2019 @ 4:14 pmTwo, Congress’ silence is consent when it comes to the Emoluments Clause. If they want to constrain his business activities, they’ll have to pass some legislation.
Not related to that location
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2019/08/26/japan-calls-us-trade-deal-very-valuable-denies-it-gave-trump-too-much/amp/
Narciso (942c04) — 8/26/2019 @ 4:15 pmSure, Sammy, sure. Next he’ll order that the State Department have all passports printed by his printing company because his “people wanted it” and, “Hey, it’s at fair market value!”. This is pure, straight-out, banana republic-style bribery.
nk (dbc370) — 8/26/2019 @ 4:17 pmI think everyone: foreign leaders, the press, members of congress from both parties – basically everyone except uniformed military personnel – should start laughing at Trump. All the time.
Whenever he makes an appearance. Whenever he pulls one of his infantile stunts. Whenever he tells one of his moronic lies. Everyone should just laugh at him, in derision, right to his face.
When he starts acting with dignity, like the leader of a great country, he can be treated as one. Until then, open mockery should be the order of the day.
Dave (1bb933) — 8/26/2019 @ 4:20 pmNo, Paul, Congress’s silence is not consent when it comes to the Emoluments Clause. There is precedent (taking notes, Sammy?). The President has an affirmative duty to request Congress’s consent before he accepts an emolument. But, like I said, this is not an emolument. An emolument is a gift, like tipping your bellboy. This is demanding a payment to him for carrying out his duties as President. Bribery.
Lock him up!
nk (dbc370) — 8/26/2019 @ 4:23 pmI think everyone: foreign leaders, the press, members of congress from both parties – basically everyone except uniformed military personnel – should start laughing at Trump. All the time.
I agree. But the problem is that the Democrats have long since decided that abject and unrelenting outrage was the proper reaction to everything Trump does, so unfortunately we are well past that point where we can substitute mockery.
JVW (54fd0b) — 8/26/2019 @ 4:25 pm“The world is a comedy to those that think;
a tragedy to those that feel.”“Think” being the operative word. Think about it.
nk (dbc370) — 8/26/2019 @ 4:28 pmYeah, I really care that Billionaire Trump might make $1 million off having the G8 Summit at his club. That might make up for the hundreds of millions he’s lost by being President. Unlike Obama, Clinton, and Carter – Trump will come out of public service poorer then he went in. IRC, the idea that Trump was losing $$$ while POTUS, had all the liberal MSM and Never-trumpers squealing with delight.
rcocean (1a839e) — 8/26/2019 @ 5:27 pmYeah, maybe the Left-wing Mayor who couldn’t even keep a hundred Neo-Nazi’s and Communist Antifa from killing each other, should host a G-7 summit. Maybe we get a foreign leader killed. That would really look great for the USA!
rcocean (1a839e) — 8/26/2019 @ 5:30 pmDo liberals ever stop whining about Trump and his golf courses? Whine, whine, whine.
rcocean (1a839e) — 8/26/2019 @ 5:34 pm@27 Might be extortion. “Nice trade agreement you have there, it would be too bad if something happened to it because you chose not to stay at my resort.”
Nic (896fdf) — 8/26/2019 @ 5:39 pm33: Like “Of course you don’t have to donate to my foundation”?
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 8/26/2019 @ 5:45 pm@34 I’m afraid your references are out of date.
Nic (896fdf) — 8/26/2019 @ 5:49 pmIt is extortion just by virtue of “If the United States wants to host the summit, it will have to be at my resort”. Demanding payment to do his duty.
nk (dbc370) — 8/26/2019 @ 6:15 pmThey replaced that mayor, signer, and off course the dems are ashamed of jeffersom
Narciso (942c04) — 8/26/2019 @ 6:16 pmYeah, maybe the Left-wing Mayor who couldn’t even keep a hundred Neo-Nazi’s and Communist Antifa from killing each other, should host a G-7 summit.
The killing was kind of one-sided that afternoon.
————-
That might make up for the hundreds of millions he’s lost by being President.
Oh, so there really is someone who believes that line of BS.
JVW (54fd0b) — 8/26/2019 @ 6:58 pmArguable, nk. But it doesn’t matter. Pelosi won’t put forward articles of impeachment for obstruction of justice and FEC violations, so why would she impeach Trump for personally enriching himself with cash from foreign governments?
Paul Montagu (a2342d) — 8/26/2019 @ 7:04 pmIf youre an obama, a clinton a pelosi a biden, youre virtually assured of avoiding any legal accountability, because you are supported by an army of media bureaucrats non profits having your back.
Narciso (942c04) — 8/26/2019 @ 7:16 pmIt doesn’t require impeachment. Just a piece of legislation making it criminal from here on out.
Kishnevi (d911b4) — 8/26/2019 @ 7:18 pmAnd it would be a criminal act that the DOJ would refuse to indict, per OLC guidelines, therefore the only recourse would be impeachment, with indictment deferred until after Trump is out of office.
Paul Montagu (a2342d) — 8/26/2019 @ 7:32 pmThe same piece of legislation could also declare that OLC policy defunct.
There are things Congress can do. Even if Trump vetoes it and the GOP sustains the veto, the Democrats would have a verifiable claim to the high ground.
That they don’t suggests they either are stupid or they don’t actually think it’s wrong, pointless public posturing aside.
Kishnevi (d911b4) — 8/26/2019 @ 7:41 pm@40 Republicans had the house, senate, presidency, justice department for 2016 to 2018. You can blame the press if you want, but it ain’t them in charge of law enforcement.
Given the amount of time the R party has been accusing the Ds of breaking the law AND the number of times the Rs have held all three branches of government and done nothing about it, I’d begin to suspect they are, in fact, lying to you, or at least exaggerating in hopes of provoking outrage and staying in power. IDK why you’d trust any of the outrage factories at this point. As far as I can tell, all the outrage factories are are partisan hacks telling lies to gin up the base.
Nic (896fdf) — 8/26/2019 @ 7:41 pmThat’s true, but it would ultimately be up to the Supreme Court to decide its constitutionality. There’s an inherent conflict, especially with a hack like Barr as AG, when a political appointee of the president is tasked with indicting the person who appointed him. IMO, better to leave that to a co-equal branch of government and not to a subordinate.
Paul Montagu (a2342d) — 8/26/2019 @ 8:03 pmTomorrow it will be #FakeNews. Trump will deny ever saying it. Trumpkins will go on the internet and say: “What’s wrong with wanting the next G-7 in the United States?”
nk (dbc370) — 8/26/2019 @ 8:09 pmActually it will be in the US even if Trump vanishes into a black hole. Merely a question of where in the US the circus will be held.
Kishnevi (d911b4) — 8/26/2019 @ 8:14 pmGlassboro, N.J.
20 minutes by chopper, tops, from Bedminster and close to Philly– and all those delicious cheese steaks, eh, Captain, sir ! If it was scenic enough for LBJ and Kosygin in ’67, it’ll do for the G7 in ’20– and Comrade Putin can bunk where Alexei stayed, if invited. Ask for one with provolone and onions, Vlad!
DCSCA (797bc0) — 8/26/2019 @ 8:35 pmAs I recall, he loaned money to his campaign. And it’s extremely unlikely that his motivation in running for president was to put “Gorsach and Kav” — or anyone else — on the Supreme Court. He did it for the same reason he’s done everything in life: to put his name on something else and get people saying he’s great.
Radegunda (e6c209) — 8/26/2019 @ 8:39 pmBarrow Alaska. These scum suckers don’t deserve real America. GTFOH.
mg (8cbc69) — 8/27/2019 @ 12:45 am49: You may have missed the boycotts, stores that dropped his brands in the face of “outrage,” extra security needed at private locations because his name is on it, and what not.
Here is one article gleefully recounting the shutdown of his daughter’s business. https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a22539627/grab-your-wallet-boycott-ivanka-trump-brand/
You can read more on his properties losing value b/c of his name now.
PS: you think he endured people wishing his early demise, questioning his sanity, being chased by Mueller, his daughter’s businesses boycotted and closed, his friends harassed, audited, indicted, etc., to hear people saying he’s great? ..ooook.
Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e) — 8/27/2019 @ 3:21 pm51: Do you really think he expected to lose money from boycotts, etc.? And just factored it in as a personal sacrifice for the sake of America?
Of course he didn’t. Trump has done everything in his life in a way to maximize benefit to himself, and push costs onto others. He profitted from bankruptcy by doing exactly that.
If you haven’t noticed how often he declares himself great, and how he basks in hero-worship, and how he complains that others aren’t praising him enough, you’re not paying attention.
If there’s anything consistent about Trump’s pattern of speech, it’s the constant, overwhelming concern about whether his own delusions of superiority are being endorsed by others. For Trump, everything comes down to ego.
Radegunda (e6c209) — 8/27/2019 @ 8:11 pm