Trump won't accept Republican nomination in Charlotte, RNC announces
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump will not accept the Republican nomination for president in Charlotte, the Republican National Committee said Wednesday, saying North Carolina officials could not guarantee full use of their facilities in late August over concerns about the coronavirus.
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“Due to the directive from the governor that our convention cannot go on as planned as required by our rules, the celebration of the president’s acceptance of the Republican nomination will be held in another city," the RNC said in a statement. "Should the governor allow more than 10 people in a room, we still hope to conduct the official business of the convention in Charlotte.”
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has said the state will maintain the ban on large gatherings until it is safe, and that he could not guarantee anyone what the situation might look like in late August.
Communication Director for the RNC, Michael Ahrens, released a statement that confirmed official GOP business would be in Charlotte, but Trump's acceptance speech likely would be elsewhere.
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"The RNC’s Executive Committee has voted unanimously to allow the official business of the national convention to continue in Charlotte,” he said. "Many other cities are eager to host the president’s acceptance of the nomination, and we are currently in talks with several of them to host that celebration."
Governors in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and other states lobbied to host the Republican National Convention in the wake of Trump's complaints over the restrictions. RNC officials were expected to tour a Nashville site Thursday.
In a Tuesday letter to Republican officials, Cooper said a full meeting in Charlotte's 19,000-seat arena is highly unlikely, and "neither public health officials nor I will risk the health and safety of North Carolinians by providing the guarantee you seek."
The governor said he was still willing to speak with Republican officials about a scaled- -back convention, but the Republicans decided to look elsewhere.
Party leaders scouted out possible alternative sites for their convention. They looked at facilities in Nashville, Las Vegas, South Florida, Orlando, Jacksonville, and the state of Georgia.
The RNC had penned a letter to Cooper last week, outlining safety procedures they wished to enact to host the convention in Charlotte. There was no mention of wearing face masks or social distancing in the letter, which are both currently the state's guidelines.
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Trump himself is one of the most prolific users of Twitter, building up a following of more than 80 million and using the site as a campaign vehicle in both 2016 and 2020.
Trump's declaration ended a series of letters between Cooper and the Republican National Committee over how to make the Charlotte plan work.
Late last month, Cooper had said he was working with Republican officials and hoped to find a "reasonable accommodation." But he added that "we’re not going to sacrifice the health and safety of North Carolinians, and that's the bottom line."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Republican convention: RNC says they are leaving Charlotte
