Live

Trump's hush money trial

Live

University protests

Trump and world leaders meet at G7 summit

By Ivana Kottasová, Meg Wagner and Mike Hayes, CNN

Updated 3:44 p.m. ET, August 26, 2019

47 Posts

Sort by

3:44 p.m. ET, August 26, 2019

What you need to know about the G7 summit

Our live coverage of the G7 summit in France and President Trump's news conference has ended. You can read more about the world leaders' summit here.

Here's a breakdown of the key lines from Trump's news conference:

On the climate crisis: Asked about the climate crisis, Trump said he wants clean air and clean water — but also wants the US to hold onto its "tremendous wealth."
On Iran: Trump said Iran is "not the same country that it was two and a half years ago" when he came into office and said the US is "not looking for leadership change."
On a possible deal with China: Asked if he was ready to make a deal on trade with China, Trump said, "Only if it's a fair deal and a good deal for the United States. Otherwise, I will not make a deal."
On next year's G7 in the US: Trump outlined the reasons he's considering hosting next year's G7 summit at his Trump National Doral Miami Golf Resort in Florida. "With Doral, we have a series of magnificent buildings, we call them bungalows. They each hold from 50 to 70 very luxurious rooms with magnificent views," he said.

1:10 p.m. ET, August 26, 2019

Trump departs France after G7

From CNN's Kevin Liptak

President Trump has departed France following the conclusion of the G7 summit.

Air Force One was wheels up for Washington just past 1 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local). It’s a roughly eight hour flight to Joint Base Andrews.

1:00 p.m. ET, August 26, 2019

Macron: Trump appreciates "direct contact" and respect

French President Emmanuel Macron shared some insight on his dealings with President Trump at the G7, saying his counterpart appreciates directness and respect.

“I think what works with him is direct contact, respect and the construction of efficient compromises,” Macron said at a press conference at the end of the G7 summit. “President Trump very rightly wants to defend the interests of his country, he does it well, he’s somebody that likes things said directly and to make deals."

The French President went on to say that he and Trump had a “fantastic working lunch” which he described as “extremely productive."

12:43 p.m. ET, August 26, 2019

France's G7 document leaves out the climate crisis, focuses on trade and Iran

The French Government, the organizer of this year’s G7 summit, has issued a conclusion document on behalf of the leaders of the seven countries at the meeting.

The document notably leaves out discussions on the Amazon and on climate change, and instead focuses on trade, Iran, Ukraine and Libya.

"The leaders of the G7 wish to emphasize their great unity and the positive spirit of their debates," the document read.

Here's what it says about five key issues:

Trade

The G7 is committed to open and fair global trade and to the stability of the global economy. The G7 calls on finance ministers to monitor the state of the global economy.
Because of that, the G7 wants to change the WTO in depth in order to be more effective in the protection of intellectual property, to settle disputes more quickly and to eradicate unfair commercial practices.
The G7 is committed to reaching an agreement in 2020 to simplify regulatory barriers and modernize international taxation in the context of the OECD.

Iran

We fully share two objectives: to ensure that Iran can never acquire nuclear weapons; and promote peace and stability in the region.

Ukraine

France and Germany will hold a summit in Normandy format in the coming weeks in order to achieve concrete results.

Libya

We support a truce in Libya that can lead to a lasting ceasefire.
We believe that only a political solution will ensure the stability of Libya.
We look forward to a well-prepared international conference involving all stakeholders and regional actors involved in this conflict.
In this regard, we support the work of the United Nations and the African Union in setting up an inter-Libyan conference.

Hong Kong

The G7 reaffirms the existence and importance of the 1984 Sino-British declaration on Hong Kong and calls for the avoidance of violence.

11:54 a.m. ET, August 26, 2019

Trump on the climate crisis: I want clean air and clean water. But I also want the US to stay wealthy.

President Trump, when asked about the climate crisis, said he wants clean air and clean water — but also wants the US to hold onto its "tremendous wealth."

A reporter asked Trump, "What do you think the world should be doing about climate change and do you still harbor that skepticism?"

Trump said the US has become "the No. 1 energy producer in the world."

"I feel that the United States has tremendous wealth. The wealth is under its feet. I’ve made that wealth come alive," he said. "And I’m not going to lose that wealth. I’m not going to lose it on dreams — on windmills, which frankly aren’t working too well. ”

Trump said that while he wanted to continue energy production, he see himself as an environmentalist.

"I want the cleanest water on Earth. I want the cleanest air on Earth. And that’s what we’re doing. And I’m an environmentalist," he said.

"I think I know more about the environment than most people. I want clean air. I want clean water. I want a wealthy country. I want a spectacular country with jobs, with pensions and so many things and that’s what we’re getting."

Some context: Earlier today, Trump skipped a session devoted to climate change at the G7 summit.

In the lead-up to the G7, Trump's aides said he wasn't entirely interested in the climate portions of the summit, believing them a waste of time compared to discussion of the economy.

After past G7s, Trump complained that too much time was spent on issues he deemed unimportant, like clearing oceans of plastics.

11:41 a.m. ET, August 26, 2019

Trump: "This is the right time" for Boris Johnson to be prime minister

President Trump said he thinks the UK's Boris Johnson will be "a great prime minister." The two met at the G7 summit over the weekend.

Trump said he told Johnson he's "been waiting for him to be prime minister for about 6 years."

"This is the right time for Boris," he added.

11:43 a.m. ET, August 26, 2019

Trump: Russia "pure and simply outsmarted" Obama when it annexed Crimea

A reporter asked President Trump about the reason Russia was kicked out of the G7, which used to be the G8, and he repeated a misleading statement blaming President Obama.

Trump, the reporter pointed out, continues to insist that "Russia outsmarted President Obama" when other countries say the reason Russia was ousted from the group was because it annexed Crimea in 2014.

Here's how Trump responded:

"It was annexed during President Obama — I know you like President Obama — but it was annexed during President Obama's term. If it was during my term, I'd say, 'Sorry, folks. I made a mistake.'"

He continued: "President Obama was pure and simply outsmarted. They took Crimea during his term. That was not a good thing. It could have been stopped — could have been stopped with the right, whatever. It could have been stopped. But President Obama was unable to stop it, and it's too bad."

Some context: The 2014 decision to kick Russia out of the then-G8 was made by a majority of member countries.

Russia was suspended from the group after the majority of member countries allied against Russia's annexation of Crimea, which Russia continues to hold.

11:29 a.m. ET, August 26, 2019

Trump says he doesn't care about political fallout from suggestion that Russia rejoin the G7

Asked about political fallout from his suggestion that Russia be readmitted to the G7, Trump said, "don't care."

"A lot of people say having Russia, which is a power, having them inside the room is better than having them outside the room," Trump said.

He added that "numerous people inside the G7 felt that way."

Asked about having Russia's Vladimir Putin attend the summit, Trump said he would "certainly invite him."

11:27 a.m. ET, August 26, 2019

Trump claims he won't make any money if his golf club is site of G7

From CNN's Allie Malloy

President Trump defended the possibility of hosting the next G7 summit at his Trump National Doral Miami Golf Club, saying that he will not make any money from hosting.

"It's not about me, it's about getting the right location," he said.

Trump told reporters at a press conference Monday in Biarritz, that he "couldn't care less" about making money and reiterated that he has only lost money as president. "The only thing I care about is this country," Trump said.

Trump said that the administration has looked at 12 different sites for the summit, but said his Doral-Miami club is the best choice in terms of location and infrastructure.

"My people wanted it," Trump said on the club adding, "I'm not going to make any money."