North Carolina challenges GOP on no-mask, no-distancing convention
North Carolina's top public health official on Friday again pressed Republicans to detail how they would carry out their party‘s national convention safely — the latest in an intensifying back-and-forth between Democratic state officials and national GOP brass that's put President Donald Trump's demand for a massive event in doubt.
In a letter to Republicans leaders on Friday, North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen asked for more information on how the GOP would carry out the late-August event in keeping with guidelines for public gatherings issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Among the questions: How would convention officials enforce social distancing and disinfecting protocols; what precautions would be taken for asymptomatic attendees; and how would Republicans test the more than 50,000 people it expects to fill Charlotte’s Spectrum Center arena.
Cohen also alluded to a May 26 phone call between Cohen, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and convention President and CEO Marcia Lee Kelly. During that conversation, Kelly expressed President Donald Trump’s desire to complete the nomination portion of the convention in “a crowd-like setting” that would not require attendees to wear masks or follow social distancing. Cohen asked whether doing so was “still the intent,” placing more pressure on Republicans to determine if and how they plan to scale back their event.
“The State continues to support the hosting of the Republican National Convention in Charlotte if it can be done safely,” Cohen wrote, acknowledging concerns among some Republicans that state officials had plans to cancel the convention altogether. “We remain committed to working with you on an event that adequately protects both attendees and the people of North Carolina.”
In a previous letter sent in response to Trump’s tweets condemning the Cooper administration for being in “Shutdown mood," Cohen requested a contingency plan from Republicans that would account for the state's coronavirus caseload in August. Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel and Kelly responded Thursday in a letter that gave state officials a June 3 deadline to respond with more guidance.
McDaniel in turn, is asking state officials what it would take to make an in-person convention work and asserted that they aren’t cooperating. The onus has been placed entirely on Republicans, McDaniel suggested in an interview Friday with former Republican North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory on WBT’s The Pat McCrory Show with Bo Thompson. She said the party still wants the convention to be held in Charlotte but fears the Cooper administration is politicizing Republicans' efforts to do so.
"I think there is a little bit of gamesmanship going on at this point. I didn't earlier but now I do," McDaniel said. "It's really sad for Charlotte because we were going to bring a ton of revenue there and it's really sad for the RNC. We're still hoping to make it work but we're not going to wait indefinitely." The interview occurred before Cohen's latest letter was received.
Cooper’s approach to the coronavirus outbreak and its impact on large events, such as the convention, has hinged almost entirely on the advice of state health officials, including Cohen. North Carolina entered its second phase of reopening on May 22 and saw its highest single-day peak in cases on May 23, at more than 1,100 reported cases.
Sadie Weiner, a spokesperson for the governor, echoed Cohen's sentiment in a statement. “North Carolina will continue working with the RNC to ensure the convention can be held safely," she said.
