Trump Hosts 'Shield of the Americas' Summit at His Miami Golf Club

The gathering aims to demonstrate U.S. commitment to the Western Hemisphere amid global crises.

Mar. 7, 2026 at 11:18pm

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President Donald Trump is set to host a summit with Latin American leaders at his Trump National Doral Miami golf club, an event the White House is calling the 'Shield of the Americas' summit. The gathering comes as the administration looks to reassert U.S. dominance in the region and push back on what it sees as years of Chinese economic encroachment. However, some key regional powers like Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia will be absent from the event.

Why it matters

The summit is part of Trump's effort to shift focus to the Western Hemisphere and counter Chinese influence in America's backyard, even as his administration deals with crises around the globe, including a recent military operation in Venezuela and a new war with Iran. The event is also seen as an attempt to rally conservative leaders in the region behind Trump's 'America First' foreign policy vision.

The details

The leaders of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago have confirmed they will take part in the gathering at Trump's golf resort. The idea for the summit emerged after plans for the 10th Summit of the Americas were scrapped last year when the Dominican Republic, under White House pressure, barred Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela from attending. Trump is expected to announce 'a big agreement' at the summit focused on combating drug cartels and trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.

  • The summit is scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2026.
  • Trump is set to fly to Delaware after the summit to be present for the dignified transfer of six U.S. troops killed in a drone strike in Kuwait.

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States who is hosting the 'Shield of the Americas' summit at his golf club in Florida.

Kristi Noem

The former Homeland Security Secretary whom Trump has named as his special envoy for the 'Shield of the Americas' summit.

Pete Hegseth

The U.S. Defense Secretary who told regional leaders and defense ministers that previous U.S. leaders had reduced America's power and presence in the Western Hemisphere.

Luis Abinader

The President of the Dominican Republic who decided to postpone the 10th Summit of the Americas, citing 'deep differences' in the region.

Richard Feinberg

A professor emeritus at the University of California, San Diego who helped plan the first Summit of the Americas in 1994 while working at the National Security Council in the Clinton White House.

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What they’re saying

“Under previous leaders, we grew obsessed with every other theater and every other border in the world except our own. These elites reduced our power and presence in this hemisphere, opting for a benign neglect that was anything but benign.”

— Pete Hegseth, U.S. Defense Secretary

“The first Summit of the Americas, with 34 nations and a carefully negotiated comprehensive agenda for regional competitiveness, projected inclusion, consensus and optimism. The hastily convened Shield of the Americas mini-summit conjures a crouched defensiveness, with only a dozen or so attendees huddled around a single dominant figure.”

— Richard Feinberg, Professor Emeritus, University of California, San Diego

What’s next

Trump is scheduled to travel to Beijing later this month to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the issue of Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere is likely to be discussed.

The takeaway

The 'Shield of the Americas' summit reflects the Trump administration's efforts to reassert U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere and counter China's growing economic presence in the region. However, the absence of key regional powers like Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia highlights the challenges the U.S. faces in rallying support for its 'America First' foreign policy vision in the Americas.