Texas GOP says it would welcome RNC Convention if NC falters
Texas Republican Party Chairman James Dickey said Monday that Texas would be happy to host the Republican National Convention in August if North Carolina fails to meet President Donald Trump' s demand that it permit a full-fledged inperson gathering.
“Texas would welcome President Trump and the RNC Convention,” Dickey told the American-Statesman .“Until then, based upon Gov. Abbott's progress in opening Texas, we are on track for our state convention as planned in person in Houston in July.”
Dickey was responding to a series of Monday morning tweets by the president pressing North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, to commit to a full occupancy convention in Charlotte or risk losing it, followed quickly by remarks by Vice President Mike Pence on Fox suggesting that Texas, Florida or Georgia might be able rise to the occasion if North Carolina cannot.
Dickey said Texas Republicans have invited the president to speak at its convention, scheduled for July 13-18 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston a proposition that should prove irresistible to Trump, who has been publicly aching for a return to the kind of mass rallies he thrived and relied on in his 2016 campaign and in his presidency until the coronavirus pandemic struck.
Trump raised the question of whether North Carolina was up to the challenge of hosting a full- throttle live convention in a series of tweets Monday morning.
“I love the Great State of North Carolina, so much so that I insisted on having the Republican National Convention in Charlotte at t he end of August,” he tweeted .“Unfortunately, Democrat Governor ,@ Roy Cooper NC is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed full attendance in the Arena. In other words, we would be spending millions of dollars building the Arena to a very high standard without even knowing if the Democrat governor would allow the Republican Party to fully occupy the space.
“Plans are being made by many thousands of enthusiastic Republicans, and others, to head to beautiful North Carolina in August. They must be immediately given an answer by the Governor as to whether or not the space will be allowed to be fully occupied. If not, we will be reluctantly forced to find with all the jobs and economic development it brings, another Republican National Convention site. This is not something I want to do.
“Thank you and I LOVE the people of North Carolina!”
Not long after, Pence was asked about the president's tweets in an interview on Fox & Friends.
“Well, it's an issue we've been talking about because these national conventions literally take many months to organize and there are states around the country we think of Texas, we think of Florida, Georgia, the last two states I visited last week that have made tremendous progress on reopening their communities and reopening their economies, and I think the president is absolutely intent on ensuring that, as we see our nation continue to make steady progress putting the coronavirus epidemic in the past, that come this August, we'll be able to come together in a safe and responsible venue and renominate President Donald Trump for four more years,” Pence said.
“What you hear the president saying today is just a very reasonable request of the governor of North Carolina,” Pence continued. “We all want to be in Charlotte. We love North Carolina, but having a sense now is absolutely essential because of the immense preparations that are involved and we look forward working with Gov. Cooper and getting a swift response, and if needs be, moving the national convention to a state that is farther along on reopening and can say with confidence that we can gather there,” Pence said.
Gov. Greg Abbott, who launched the second phase of his Open Texas plan last week, told KSAT-TV in San Antonio on Tuesday t hat the timetable for allowing conventions remains under review, but “whatever we open up, we need to make sure we open up in ways that will continue to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.”
Texas Democrats chose to transform their convention, originally scheduled for June 4-6 at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, into a virtual event on the same days.
“It doesn't matter where the RNC holds their convention, Donald Trump' s historic unpopularity is going to cause him to lose Texas,” state Democratic Party spokesman Abhi Rahman said Monday .“Nobody wants Trump in Texas. We recommend he host the RNC at one of his golf clubs.”