Donald Trump wants to align G20 summit in his own golf resort

US President Donald Trump plans to organize the G20 summit of the leading industrialized and emerging countries in his private golf club Doral at Miami in 2026. Trump announced this at an event in the White House on Friday. “I think Doral is the best location,” he said to journalists. An exact date for the summit has not yet been determined.

However, the choice of his own property for an event financed by US taxpayers should stir up new concerns that Trump could make profit from his office. According to a representative of the presidential office, however, the benefits should be invoiced at cost price. The presidential office has always rejected allegations of conflicts of interest. Employees have declared that the President’s assets were managed by third parties. The Golf Club Doral in the state of Florida is part of Trump’s property ownership.

Trump also announced that he would not travel to South Africa for this year’s G20 summit. Vice President JD Vance will take part in his place, Trump explained. He had already questioned his participation in July and justified this with criticism of South Africa’s politics. The background is the South African land reform and the country’s lawsuit in front of the International Court of Justice, in which Israel accuses it in the Gaza War. In May, Trump had accused the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa false claims about a genocide of whites and land expenses at a meeting in the White House. In February he had reduced US financial aids for South Africa by decree.

During his first term, Trump had already planned to host the G7 summit of the leading western industrialized nations in Doral in 2020. However, he gave up the project after sharp criticism. At that time, both his Republicans as well as Democrats and Ethics experts had said concerns that such a step could violate the US constitution.

Trump regularly mixes personal and political interests. Since taking office in January, he has repeatedly received foreign state and government bosses as well as corporate bosses in his property.

The G20 group includes 19 countries, the European Union and the African Union. The orientation with an economic policy focus rotates between the members. Russia is also part of it. However, an arrest warrant of the International Criminal Court is available against the Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes.