Trump Hosts 'Shield of the Americas' Summit in Miami

The gathering aims to demonstrate the administration's commitment to the Western Hemisphere amid global crises.

Mar. 7, 2026 at 11:18am

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President Donald Trump is set to host a summit of Latin American leaders at his Trump National Doral Miami golf club. The gathering, dubbed the 'Shield of the Americas' summit, 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. The summit will feature leaders from a dozen countries, though the region's two dominant powers, Brazil and Mexico, as well as Colombia, will be notably absent.

Why it matters

The summit is part of Trump's 'America First' foreign policy approach toward the Western Hemisphere, leveraging U.S. military and intelligence assets to counter Chinese influence in the region. However, many leaders in the region have been reluctant to sever ties with China, which has provided critical trade and investment that the U.S. has been unwilling to match.

The details

The idea for the summit emerged after the planned 10th Summit of the Americas was scrapped last year due to disagreements over which countries should be invited. The Shield of the Americas moniker is meant to speak to Trump's vision for a more assertive U.S. role in the region. The administration has already taken steps to counter Chinese influence, such as strong-arming Panama to withdraw from China's Belt and Road Initiative. The summit is also expected to focus on combating drug cartels and trafficking in the hemisphere.

  • The summit is scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2026.
  • Trump is also set to travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on the same day to receive the remains 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 Trump National Doral Miami golf club.

Kristi Noem

The former Department of Homeland Security secretary who 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 administrations had reduced U.S. power and presence in the Western Hemisphere.

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.

Evan Ellis

An expert on Chinese engagement in the region at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

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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 (ksgf.com)

“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 (ksgf.com)

“The U.S. is offering the region tariffs, deportations and militarization whereas China is offering trade and investment. Leaders in the region would do well to remain neutral and hedge, such that they can leverage increased U.S.-China rivalry to their own benefit.”

— Kevin Gallagher, Director, Boston University's Global Development Policy Center (ksgf.com)

What’s next

Trump is scheduled to travel to Beijing later this month to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the two leaders are expected to discuss the U.S. administration's efforts to counter Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere.

The takeaway

The Shield of the Americas summit highlights the Trump administration's efforts to reassert U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere and push back against perceived Chinese encroachment, even as many regional leaders remain reluctant to fully sever ties with China due to the economic benefits it provides. The summit's limited attendance and focus on security and military cooperation contrasts sharply with past regional gatherings that emphasized economic integration and development.