WASHINGTON, Sept 6 – In a move stirring both support and scrutiny, former President Donald Trump announced that the 2026 G20 summit will be hosted at none other than his own Trump National Doral Golf Resort in Miami, Florida.
The decision — announced from the Oval Office — reignites a familiar controversy from his first term, when a similar plan for the 2020 G7 summit at the same property was scrapped following public backlash and ethics concerns.
Still, Trump is pressing ahead this time, calling Doral “the best location” and praising its proximity to the airport, abundance of facilities, and — in his words — its “beautiful everything.”
“Everybody wants it there,” said the 79-year-old Trump. “It’s beautiful, the weather’s great, and everything about it just works.”
He emphasized that neither he nor his company would profit from the event, which is set for December 2026 — one of the busiest travel months in Miami. “We will not make any money on it. There’s no money in it. I just want it to go well,” he stated, attempting to head off accusations of self-dealing.
Trump also claimed a practical reason for selecting Doral: Miami’s hotels are usually packed in December, and his resort is prepared to accommodate every delegation in their own dedicated buildings. “I think it will be really a beautiful thing,” he added.
The announcement has, unsurprisingly, reopened old wounds.
When Trump made a similar move in 2019 for the G7 summit, critics swiftly branded it one of the most blatant examples of presidential conflict of interest. Under pressure, and with the pandemic looming, that summit was never held. Trump had also invited Russia back into the G7 then — a proposal that drew global backlash.
This time around, he’s again signaling openness to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping — even amid strained global relations and ongoing conflict in Ukraine. “I would love them to, if they want to,” Trump said. “They’d be observers, but I’m not sure if they’d want to come as observers.”
Despite the controversy, Trump appears unfazed. With his Florida properties at the center of his post-presidency life — from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach to the Doral resort in Miami — he seems determined to use his familiar turf to shape major global events.
In the meantime, Trump confirmed he won’t attend this year’s G20 summit in South Africa, opting to send Vice President JD Vance in his place. He cited widely debunked claims about violence against white citizens as part of his decision to skip the gathering.
“JD will be going. Great vice president, and he looks forward to it,” Trump said.
The announcement underscores not just Trump’s enduring influence, but also the persistent questions surrounding his blending of personal business and public duty — questions that will likely intensify as the 2026 summit approaches.
