GOP officials are expected to tour Nashville this week as the party weighs a last-minute convention venue change.
Las Vegas, Florida’s Orlando and Jacksonville, and nearby Georgia are also on the list of possible alternatives if the Republican National Committee’s plans to hold the quadrennial event in Charlotte Aug. 24-27 fall through over COVID-19 concerns, Politico reported Tuesday.
“We hope to still conduct the business of our convention in Charlotte, but we have an obligation to our delegates and nominee to begin visiting the multiple cities and states who have reached out in recent days about hosting an historic event to show that America is open for business,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel confirmed in a statement.
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) June 2, 2020
The posturing follows weeks of President Trump, the GOP, and Democratic leaders in North Carolina publicly airing tensions over how the convention can go ahead in a state that continues to ban groups of 10 or more people to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The two sides have exchanged a flurry of letters as Trump seeks assurances that a full-scale convention can proceed as planned. Republicans had earlier proposed a smaller event with 19,000 people instead of the anticipated 50,000 but without social distancing measures or requiring face coverings. Rather, they said they would provide antibacterial gel and frequent sanitizing, request pre-travel health surveys, and conduct daily screenings, such as temperature checks.
Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper told Republicans Tuesday that, despite their updated framework, the four-day gathering was “very likely.”
“With the Nation, the State of North Carolina and the City of Charlotte still under states of emergency it’s important to conduct the RNC convention accordingly,” Cooper wrote Tuesday.
He added: “As much as we want the conditions surrounding COVID-19 to be favorable enough for you to hold the Convention you describe in late August, it is very unlikely. Neither public health officials nor I will risk the health and safety of North Carolinians by providing the guarantee you seek.”
JUST IN: Gov. @RoyCooperNC responds to RNC request. Tells GOP leaders that holding a full scale convention w/o social distancing and facial coverings is “very unlikely”.
Asks RNC to offer up plan for a “scaled back” convention.
FULL LETTER: pic.twitter.com/Ykf0xgLsrQ— Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) June 2, 2020
Democrats are experiencing similar uncertainty regarding their convention, scheduled to take place a week earlier in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There is still confusion over whether it will be conducted in-person, online, or a combination of the two.
