• Source:JND
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US President Donald Trump on Friday confirmed that the United States will host the 2026 G20 summit at his Trump National Doral golf resort near Miami, Florida. The announcement came during an Oval Office briefing where the President described Doral as “the best location” for the gathering of the world’s major economies. “This will be very special. I think Doral will be the best location, everybody wants it there because it’s right next to the airport, it’s beautiful,” Trump told reporters.

The decision is likely to reignite debate over potential conflicts of interest since the resort is part of the Trump Organisation. In 2019, Trump had proposed to host the G7 summit at Doral but backed down after bipartisan criticism. “There’s no money in it. We want to make sure it’s good,” the President insisted, rejecting claims he would profit from the event. A White House official added that services at the summit would be billed “at-cost” to attendees. The sprawling Doral property includes a clubhouse, multiple restaurants, spa facilities and about 100,000 square feet of event space, including the Donald J. Trump Grand Ballroom.

Invitation To Putin, Xi Jinping

Asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin or Chinese President Xi Jinping would be welcome, Trump said he would not object. “I’d love them to, if they want to. They can be observers. I’m not sure they want to be an observer, but yes, of course,” he said. Putin has skipped recent G20 summits, including those in New Delhi (2023) and Rio de Janeiro (2024), while Xi attended last year’s meeting in Brazil.

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Trump also confirmed he will not attend this year’s G20 summit in Johannesburg, scheduled for November 22-23. Instead, Vice President JD Vance will represent the US. “I won’t be going this year. It’s in South Africa. JD will be going, a great Vice President, and he looks forward to it,” Trump said. The President has been critical of Pretoria’s policies, particularly land reforms and its stance on Israel. Earlier this year, Trump suspended US aid to South Africa, accusing its government of “race-based discrimination” against White farmers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also skipped the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg, citing similar concerns.

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Trump also underscored that the US hosting the G20 in 2026 coincides with the country’s 250th anniversary. “As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, the United States will have the honour of hosting the G20 summit right here in America for the first time in nearly 20 years,” he said. The final dates for the 2026 G20 summit have not yet been announced, though initial estimates suggest an October timeline.

With inputs from agency.