Despite bad optics, Trump resort to host G-7

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump intends to host next year’s Group of Seven conference at his Doral International Resort in Miami in June, the White House confirmed Thursday, a controversial decision certain to raise conflict-of-interest questions given the financial benefit to Trump’s business.

Trump first floated the idea of the Doral in August at the G-7 meeting in Biarritz, France, telling reporters that his property was far better than others his administration had considered, given its proximity to a major airport and the abundance of accommodations and meeting space on site.

The idea immediately generated controversy. Trump is already fighting three lawsuits suggesting he is violating the Constitution’s emoluments clause, which prohibits officeholders from personally profiting from payments by foreign governments.

Noah Bookbinder, executive director of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said Trump is using the U.S. government as a marketing arm of the Trump Organization.

“This is unbelievable,” Bookbinder said. “Given the potential consequences the president is facing for abusing the presidency for his own gain, we would have thought he would steer clear of blatant corruption, at least temporarily. Instead he has doubled down on it. The president is now officially using the power of his office to help prop up his struggling golf business. There appears to be no bottom to President Trump’s corruption.”

But White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said the decision, which he acknowledged was Trump’s idea, would not represent a conflict.

“The president has pretty much made it clear that he doesn’t profit,” Mulvaney said. The resort would host the foreign delegations for the G-7 conference “at cost,” he said, adding that Doral was “far and away the best physical facility for this meeting.”

The presidential retreat at Camp David, by contrast, is “miserable,” he said.

Mulvaney acknowledged that even if the event — scheduled for June 10-12 — itself did not generate a profit, it would be a major branding opportunity for Trump’s resorts. But he said that shouldn’t be an issue.

“Consider the possibility that Donald Trump’s brand is probably strong enough as it is,” he said. “It’s the most recognized name in the English language.”