Score One For The Constitution

[Lord Jim]

President Trump Backs Down on Hosting G7 Meeting at His Florida Doral Resort

President Donald Trump has backed down on plans to host next year’s Group of Seven (G7) meeting at his Trump National Doral Miami golf resort in Florida.

Plans to hold the June 2020 meeting between the U.S. and some of its most powerful allies at the luxury resort were announced on Oct. 17 by Trump’s acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. The announcement has been roundly criticized by both Democrats and Republicans. Some voiced concerns that the summit would raise the profile of the resort and benefit Trump financially during Florida’s summer off-season, and at a time when the facility is beset with financial difficulties, according to financial documents viewed by the Washington Post.

In a series of tweets on Saturday night, Trump announced that he had decided to move the meeting even though he felt the resort would be a “very good” location.

“It is big, grand, on hundreds of acres, next to MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, has tremendous ballrooms & meeting rooms, and each delegation would have its own 50 to 70 unit building. Would set up better than other alternatives,” Trump wrote. “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!” [Yeah, it was the push back from your own party that forced you to drop this one...]

He said that other locations, including Camp David, will be considered as venues.

https://time.com/5705628/donald-trump-g7-doral-resort/

I have been one who has long felt that while Trump early on ran afoul of the Emoluments Clause and that he could be legitimately impeached for it, that from a political strategy standpoint it was just too arcane and complicated an area for the average person to grasp, and therefore wasn't really worth pursuing for impeachment. (Especially in such a target-rich environment for much more straight forward impeachable offenses.)

But in this case, Il Boobce had served up a blatant, easy to understand, Emoluments Clause violation all gift wrapped and tied up with a bow...

Hell, he wasn't just accepting payments from foreign governments, he was compelling them...

Without much public explaining or fanfare at all, this could easily have been tacked on as it's own stand-alone Impeachment Article...

So I have mixed feelings about Trump caving on this...

It's a win for the Constitution and the rule of law, but on the other hand it's one less impeachment article...

Oh well, it's not like there's big shortage in that department....

[Scooter]

I have been one who has long felt that while Trump early on ran afoul of the Emoluments Clause and that he could be legitimately impeached for it, that from a political strategy standpoint it was just too arcane and complicated an area for the average person to grasp

Oh, I don't know, I think that profiting from his own Secret Service protection by requiring them to occupy and pay rent for an entire floor of his own building wouldn't have been particularly complicated for an average person to understand.

[Econoline]

Trump Offers Freed ISIS Fighters a Group Rate at Trump Doral Resort

[Bicycle Bill]

Call me cynical, but I'm willing to bet that Trump will now point to his backing down — or more correctly, his being forced to back down due to the hue and cry — on hosting the G7 at his own digs as a shining example of how he was willing to put personal gain aside in his efforts to serve the country.

And I suppose I can't argue that, although I think the term he would want is "service" the country.  Sort of the same way a bull services a heifer.

-"BB"-

[BoSoxGal]

I just think it would be plain cruel to make all those G7 diplomats go to Florida in June; let them see someplace nice instead - like Trump Bedminster. (Probably not big enough?)

[Sue U]

I just think it would be plain cruel to make all those G7 diplomats go to Florida in June; let them see someplace nice instead - like Trump Bedminster. (Probably not big enough?)

Please do not give Trump any more excuses to come to New Jersey. But if they're gonna come, they should go down the shore.

[BoSoxGal]

Maybe they should hold it at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City - give everyone a taste of the hope for a better life after Trump.

[wesw]

surely, the G-7 w0uld c0llapse, BSG?

[ex-khobar Andy]

Of course the whole emoluments things is phony.

Trump now says he would have let them have Doral "for free." I hope he ran that by Donny Jr. (or is it Eric? - I get those two mixed up) because of course he does not have a hand in running his businesses.

[Lord Jim]

I liked that "phony emoluments clause" thing...it's obviously not intended to have any effect on anyone who actually knows anything about the US Constitution...

But Trump knows his base supporters...

Il Boobce knows that the hardcore Trumpanzees are complete ignoramuses on the topic of the Constitution (we've seen plenty of proof of that repeatedly right here on this lil' 'ol board ) and are therefore quite capable of believing that The Emoluments Claus is something made up by those evil Democrats just to unfairly attack their Great President...

[MajGenl.Meade]

Well, I have to cut him some slack on the "phony emoluments clause". It's fairly clear that what he means is that accusing him of violating the emoluments clause is inaccurate.

And he's spot-on with this one: "George Washington, he ran his business simultaneously while he was president . . . George Washington considered to be a rich man at the time. George Washington had two desks, he had a presidential desk and a business desk"

After all, Trump has seen the Washington Emolument almost every day

[BoSoxGal]

[Lord Jim]

He probably heard about Washington from his acting Defenses Secretary, Esperanto...