President Trump on Monday threatened to relocate the Republican National Convention from Charlotte if North Carolina’s governor does not guarantee the coronavirus shutdown will be eased to allow “full attendance in the Arena.”
The status of the August convention has remained in doubt as Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, has not set a timetable to fully reopen the state.
“Plans are being made by many thousands of enthusiastic Republicans, and others, to head to beautiful North Carolina in August,” Mr. Trump tweeted. “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 of the jobs and economic development it brings, another Republican National Convention site.”
Mr. Trump delivered the ultimatum in a series of Twitter posts, saying he loved North Carolina, but the governor had put the GOP on the spot.
“This is not something I want to do. Thank you, and I LOVE the people of North Carolina!” Mr. Trump tweeted.
Mr. Cooper has begun reopening North Carolina businesses and recreational activities that were shut down March 27 to slow the spread of COVID-19, the potentially deadly respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Gatherings of more than 10 people are still prohibited and public entertainment venues remain closed.
North Carolina’s coronavirus caseload has continued to increase, with the highest one-day spike of more than 1,000 cases reported Saturday by the state health department.
Vice President Mike Pence confirmed that there have been discussions about moving the convention from North Carolina.
He listed several states, all with Republican governors, that were reopening faster than North Carolina.
“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,” Mr. Pence said on Fox News. “I think the president is absolutely intent on ensuring that as we see our nation continue to make steady progress on 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.”
Still, relocating a national political convention in less than three months would be a logistical nightmare.
The Republican National Committee has said it expects 50,000 people to attend the convention at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
“Unfortunately, Democrat Governor, @RoyCooperNC is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed full attendance in the Arena,” the president tweeted. “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.”
Mr. Trump has previously accused Mr. Cooper of “playing politics” with the coronavirus shutdown in North Carolina, a battleground state in the 2020 presidential election.
Mr. Trump won North Carolina in 2016.
In response to the “playing politics” accusation, a Cooper spokeswoman told The Charlotte Observer that the governor was following the White House’s reopening guidelines.
Mr. Cooper moved the state into Phase 2 of the reopening plan on Friday, allowing dine-in restaurants, hair and nail salons, churches and pools to welcome back patrons and members. But bars, nightclubs, gyms, public playgrounds and indoor entertainment venues such as the Spectrum Center remain shuttered. Indoor gatherings of more than 10 people also are prohibited under Mr. Cooper’s Phase 2 order.
The GOP convention is planned for Aug. 24-27 in Charlotte. The Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee is scheduled to take place a week earlier after being rescheduled from July due to the coronavirus crisis.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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