Mulvaney: Trump wanted G7 at his resort because he still considers himself in 'hospitality business'
Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said that President Trump wanted to host the G-7 summit at one of his resorts because the presidents still thinks of himself as being in the "hospitality business," Mulvaney said on "Fox News Sunday."
"At the end of the day, [Trump] still considers himself to be in the hospitality business, and he saw an opportunity to take the biggest leaders from around the world, and he wanted to put on the absolute best show, the best visit that he possibly could. He was very comfortable doing it at Doral," Mulvaney told Fox News' Chris Wallace on Sunday.
Trump announced Saturday night that his administration will no longer consider his personal resort in Doral, Fla., to host the 2020 G-7 summit, and suggested he might consider Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland instead.
Trump blamed "Media [and] Democrat Crazed and Irrational Hostility" for the reversal in a tweet on Saturday night.
"We talked about it at great length last night. ... I honestly think what you saw in the tweet was real. The president isn't one for holding back his feelings and his emotions about something. He was honestly surprised at the level of pushback," Mulvaney said Sunday.
"I think it was the right decision to change. We'll have to find some place else, and my guess is we'll find some place else that the media won't like either for another reason," he continued.
Before the reversal, Mulvaney said Thursday the president was "willing" to take the heat for inviting world leaders to his own resort when asked about its "appearance of impropriety" by Fox News' Kevin Corke.