Trump muses about hosting G-7 summit in US after all
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he's considering holding an in-person meeting in the U.S. with the leaders of the world's major economies after all because it would be a “great sign to all” of things returning to normal during the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump had scheduled the Group of Seven summit for June 10-12 at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. But in March, he announced he was canceling the annual meeting because of the pandemic. He said the leaders would confer by video conference instead.
But Trump has recently been making an aggressive push to see the U.S. economy humming again after many businesses were closed to help slow the virus.
“Now that our Country is ‘Transitioning back to Greatness’, I am considering rescheduling the G-7, on the same or similar date, in Washington, D.C., at the legendary Camp David,” Trump tweeted. “The other members are also beginning their COMEBACK. It would be a great sign to all - normalization!”
It was not immediately clear how such a meeting could be arranged so quickly.
Formal White House preparations for the summit were halted two months ago when the summit was called off. And the Trump administration has maintained travel restrictions and quarantine requirements for travelers from Europe, home to four of the G-7 nations. And earlier this week the U.S. and Canada agreed to keep their shared border closed to nonessential travel through June 21.
The District of Columbia remains under stay-at-home orders at least through June 8, though Maryland began relaxing stay-at-home restrictions last week. At the same time, leaders of the group's member nations are in various stages of reopening their own societies.
White House officials did not immediately provide additional details on the president's thinking for...
