US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that the 2026 G20 summit will be held in his country, despite giving up on a similar plan during his first term.
“As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary next year, the United States will have the honor of hosting … the G20 summit right here in America for the first time in nearly 20 years,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump plans to host G7 at his own golf resort again
Trump noted that he will host the summit at one of his properties, the Doral golf resort, in southern Florida.
“Everybody wants it there because it’s right next to the airport, it’s the best location, it’s beautiful,” said Trump.
During his first term, Trump proposed to host the 2020 G7 summit at the same location.
He later backtracked on the plan after coming under fire from critics who said he sought to personally profit from his presidency.
“There’s no money in it,” Trump said Friday, but he added, “We want to make sure it’s good.”
The Doral golf property in Florida is owned by Trump’s family [FILE: October 27, 2022]Image: Al Diaz/Miami Herald/ZUMA/picture alliance
Trump says Putin, Xi welcome to attend
Trump also said he would be open to having Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 2026 G20 summit.
“I would love them to, if they want to,” said the US president.
However, he added that Putin and Xi would be “observers, and I’m not sure if they’d want to come as observers.”
Both Russia and China are G20 members. In 2024, Xi attended the meeting in Rio de Janeiro in person, but Putin opted to join via video link.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Putin in March 2023. Brazil, as a member, is obliged to arrest Putin if he enters the country.
The United States is not a member of the ICC.
Trump to skip this year’s G20 summit
This year’s summit is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg from November 22 to 23.
The US president confirmed he will not attend the meeting of world leaders in South Africa.
Instead, Vice President JD Vance will go in Trump’s place.
“I won’t be going, JD will be going. Great vice president, and he looks forward to it,” Trump told reporters.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
