N.C. pressed on GOP convention
After Trump threat, Georgia and Florida offer to host event
WASHINGTON — Two GOP governors are offering up their states to host the Republican National Convention as President Donald Trump said he needs a decision from North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper “within a week” as to whether the convention can go forward as planned.
Trump has threatened to pull the convention out of North Carolina if that state’s Democratic governor doesn’t assure him that the August gathering can go forward despite coronavirus fears.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp sent an open plea to Trump on Tuesday to consider his state as an alternate site for the quadrennial convention, which is set to gather more than 2,500 delegates and thousands more guests, press and security officials.
Plans have been underway for more than a year to hold the convention in Charlotte, but Trump and national Republican officials have expressed concerns that local officials may not allow gatherings of that size during the pandemic.
“With world-class facilities, restaurants, hotels, and workforce, Georgia would be honored to safely host the Republican National Convention,” Kemp tweeted Tuesday. “We hope you will consider the Peach State, realDonaldTrump!”
Kemp’s offer was followed by one from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who told reporters at a Miami news conference that he “would love” to have the GOP or even the Democratic convention, as either would bring millions of dollars to the state. The Republican governor said if Trump decides to move the GOP convention, it presumably would have to abide by any federal health guidelines and Florida would do its part to uphold them.
“The door is open, we want to have the conversation, whether RNC, DNC, whatever, because I think it will be good for the people of Florida,” DeSantis said. The Democratic convention is scheduled to be held in Milwaukee, and party officials have said they are evaluating contingency options, including a potential virtual convention, as a result of the virus.
Trump on Tuesday complained anew that North Carolina’s Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper wouldn’t yet guarantee that the convention could take place as scheduled.
“We have a governor who doesn’t want to open up the state,” Trump said of Cooper. “He’s been acting very, very slowly and very suspiciously. We’re talking about a very short period of time … . I would say within a week that certainly we have to know. If he can’t do it, if he feels he’s not going to do it, all he has to do is tell us. And then we’ll have to pick another location. And I tell you a lot of locations want it.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the president is monitoring virus transmission data and “wants to see this convention take place and sees no reason not to as the nation begins to reopen.”
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel said the president “is right to ask for assurances from North Carolina” about the convention.
“We want to have it in North Carolina, the president wants to have it in North Carolina,” she told Fox News on Tuesday morning. “It’s just the governor. He has to work with us. Every state we talk to says we want to nominate the president here, but this governor is up for reelection and hasn’t given us the reassurances we need. We need to be able to move forward in a concrete way. We are going to have those discussions.”
Cooper’s administration has refused to give in, though, responding with a letter demanding a written safety plan from organizers of the RNC.
Asked about Trump’s tweets threatening to move the convention, Cooper said Tuesday he’s “not surprised at anything that happens on Twitter,” without mentioning the president by name. He said discussions with RNC organizers are continuing.
“We have asked them to present a plan on paper to us laying out the various options that we’ve already discussed,” Cooper said. “They know we’re talking about a time that’s three months from now, so we have to have options regarding how this convention is going to be run depending on where we are with the virus in August.”
Cooper has gradually eased business restrictions, with restaurants now allowed to offer limited indoor dining. But entertainment venues, bars and gyms remain closed under his current order that also caps indoor mass gatherings at 10 people.