President Trump Saturday scrapped a decision to organize 2020 G-7 at his National Doral Miami resort then called the US Constitution’s Emoluments Clause “phony”, raising concerns he was attacking the constitution instead of defending it.

Following a call with Republicans on Saturday, President Donald Trump reversed a decision he took earlier to organize 2020 G-7 at his Trump’s National Doral Miami.

Trump’s National Doral Miami is a golf resort in Doral in South Florida. It was founded by real estate pioneer Alfred Kaskel in 1962. Donald Trump purchased the property in 2012.

The US Constitution’s Emoluments clause forbids federal elected officials from receiving gifts and contributions from foreign states and dignitaries. This has been interpreted to include fees and other payments that might benefit these federal elected officials.

Critics have long-stated that as a businessman, Trump has been breaking this clause since he came to office but Trump’s lawyers and the Justice Department have defended the President.

Democrats and other critics lashed out very strongly against Trump’s decision to host the 2020 G-7 summit at his National Doral Miami. They argued that it compounded already existing violations of the Emoluments Clause.

However, after speaking to Republicans Saturday Trump decided to scrap the decision. Then on Monday dismissed criticism that his since-reversed plan to host the Group of Seven (G-7) summit at his Doral property would have led to an ethics violation, Brett Samuels reported in The Hill, citing Trump as saying “You people with this phony Emoluments Clause.” Samuels reported that

Trump offered a lengthy defense of using his Doral resort near Miami to host next year’s G-7 summit, and lashed out amid questions about the backlash to his earlier decision.

Trump insisted that he would not have profited off hosting world leaders, scores of journalists and other staff at his family’s property near Miami. The president announced Saturday the White House would find a new location for the summit following criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

An interesting article in Washington Post has addressed “what you need to know about the emoluments clause”, giving key examples of other instances that involved Trump’s businesses and how they relate to the Emolument’s clause.

Calling the Emoluments Clause “phony” has raised concerns that the President is instead attacking the Constitution he swore to defend when he took office.

This does not seem to make matters easy for the President who is currently faced with a Democrat-led impeachment inquiry following a whistleblower’s complaint about a call Trump made to his Ukrainian counterpart in July 2019.

The call suggested that Trump was asking the Ukrainian President to investigate political rival Joe Biden against military aid. Critics said this was tantamount to campaign finance fraud, inviting the impeachment inquiry.