US Democrats aim to block Trump resort from hosting G7

Furious that US President Donald Trump announced he will host the next G7 summit at his own golf resort in Florida, congressional Democrats introduced legislation Friday to block his plan.

Lawmakers said the "Trump's Heist Undermines the G-7 (THUG) Act" would cut off all federal funding for the move to have leaders of the seven largest economies in the world gather next June at the Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami.

The bill would also require the White House to turn over all relevant documents that show how administration officials decided on Doral.

"The prospect that the Trump administration would set aside the Constitution to line the president's pockets by choosing to host the upcoming G7 Conference to prop up one the president's failing properties is enormously troubling," House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson said in a statement.

The measure could pass the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives as a rebuke to Trump but it has little chance of being put to a vote in the Senate which is controlled by Republicans.

Critics say Trump's brazen move would be a clear violation of both the foreign and domestic emoluments clauses that are designed to shield a US leader from outside influence.