WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican National Committee confirmed Thursday it would hold its winter meetings at Trump National Doral, bringing business to one of the president’s struggling properties.
The news comes weeks after President Donald Trump canceled plans to host next year’s Group of Seven summit of world leaders in Doralafter facing accusations that he was using the presidency to enrich himself.
In a statement, RNC spokesman Michael Ahrens confirmed that the group’s multiday event will be held in January at Trump’s golf resort, which is located near Miami International Airport.
The RNC said the contract was signed in March and noted that the majority of RNC meetings have not been held at Trump properties.
“The media is obsessed with our spending at Trump properties and has covered it ad nauseam,” Ahrens said. “As we have stated multiple times, we continue to hold events at them because they have fantastic service and secure spaces that fit our needs.”
The RNC winter meetings will be the second time in two years for Republicans to hold a major meeting at the resort. According to The Washington Post, a GOP event in Doral last year produced about $630,000 in revenue for Trump’s company.
Critics have noted that the Doral resort, the biggest source of revenue among Trump's 17 golf properties, appears to have been struggling since even before he became president.
Financial disclosure reports filed by the president show revenue is barely growing, up just $1 million last year, to $76 million. And the Trump Organization itself has admitted it was struggling, arguing in a tax appeal to local authorities last year that it is "seriously underperforming," according to a Washington Post review of tax appeal documents.
