NATIONAL NEWS - President of the United States Donald Trump will not be attending the G20 summit to be hosted in Johannesburg in November.

Trump confirmed his stance on Friday while holding a press conference in the Oval Office.

‘JD will be going’

In briefly fielding questions on the G20, Trump said his vice president JD Vance would leading the US delegation in November.

“I won’t be going this year, it’s in South Africa. I won’t be going, JD will be going…great vice president and he looks forward to it, but no, I won’t be going to that,” said Trump.

The US president was more interested in announcing that the 2026 G20 summit will be hosted in the state of Florida.

White House Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley stated the administration were eager to welcome diplomats to Miami in December next year. 

“We’re also looking forward to having this as a showcase of American strength, vision, innovation and power under your bold leadership, Mr President.

“It’s going to be the G20 in the Trumpian golden age,” said Crowley.

G20 incoming

The 2025 G20 summit will be hosted in Johannesburg on the weekend of 22 November under the themes of solidarity, equality and sustainability.

The G20 was founded in 1999 and comprises of 19 countries and two regional blocks — the European and African Unions.

G20 members make up roughly 85% of the worlds GDP, over 75% of all international and over 65% of the global population.

Leadership of the G20 is assumed on a rotational basis and the host nation is obliged to set the agenda for the summit.

“We would like our G20 Presidency to be one in which all voices are heard and in which all views count,” stated President Cyril Ramaphosa when addressing foreign ministers in February.

Article: Caxton publication, The Citizen

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