Around this time seven years ago, Donald Trump came up with a rather outlandish plan. As the White House prepared to host a Group of Seven summit, the president decided the ideal location for the international gathering would be at the Miami-area Doral Resort and Spa — which his family business happens to own.

Two days later, amid bipartisan pushback, the Republican abandoned the plan and presented himself as a victim.

In his second term, Trump appears far more indifferent to pushback, which is probably why he decided that Doral would be the ideal location for the upcoming Group of 20 summit.

The implications of such a move are significant for reasons the White House ought to understand. The U.S. Constitution includes a provision known as the emoluments clause, which prohibits U.S. officials from receiving payments from foreign governments; in this case, the president is effectively telling many of the world’s most powerful leaders that if they wish to participate in an international gathering, they’re required to spend money at a for-profit business owned by the Trump Organization, fueling unavoidable corruption concerns.

But as it happens, that’s not the only problem. MS NOW reported:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. had invited [Vladimir] Putin to the Group of 20 leaders’ summit in Miami in December, saying it would be an opportunity for the Russian president to engage with world leaders.

“We think it’s an opportunity for him to engage not just with the president but with other world leaders,” Rubio said after his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “We hope that’s an invitation he’ll accept.”

The Wall Street Journal published an analysis after the announced invitation, noting, “Trump has long been obsessed with bringing Putin to global summits despite objections from, well, nearly everyone else.”

These new developments come just a month after the Republican administration welcomed Russia’s finance minister to a G20 gathering in North Carolina, infuriating European participants who were not told in advance about Russia’s unexpected participation.

Time will tell whether Putin accepts Trump’s invitation — it would be the Russian leader’s first appearance at such an event since he launched his invasion of Ukraine — but the outreach is remarkable in and of itself, and it fuels familiar questions about why Trump continues to appear so eager to extend unearned rewards to his counterpart in Moscow.

The recent pattern includes instances in which the American president and his team have:

• Shrugged off compelling evidence that Russia has helped Iran target American assets in the Middle East.
• Rewarded Russia with a break on oil sanctions.
• Looked the other way after Russia attacked American-owned business interests in Ukraine.
• Allowed Russia to bypass a U.S. oil blockade intended to smother the Cuban government.
• Vouched for Putin’s trustworthiness.
• Echoed Kremlin talking points.
• Bragged about curtailing U.S. aid to Ukraine, which is still trying to defend itself in response to Russia’s invasion.

This week, for reasons the White House has failed to explain, the list grew longer.

It’s worth emphasizing that all of these developments have unfolded this year, and this list doesn’t include the many steps Trump and his team took to benefit Russia in 2025, including a humiliating attempt at direct diplomacy with Putin during a failed summit in Alaska, in which the American president had to slink away empty-handed.

The next time Trump brags about how “tough” he is with Putin, be sure to keep this pattern in mind.

This post updates our related earlier coverage.

The post Trump keeps finding new ways to give Putin unearned rewards, inviting backlash appeared first on MS NOW.

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From MS Now.