North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper shot down President Donald Trump’s push for a “full” Republican National Convention in August.
Cooper, a Democrat, sent a letter to Republican National Committee chairwoman Rona McDaniel and Republican National Convention President Marcia Kelly Lee on Tuesday saying that any GOP convention in the state would have to be “scaled down.” Last month, Trump threatened to pull the convention out of North Carolina if any limits were placed on capacity due to the pandemic.
“We still want a safe RNC convention in Charlotte that follows the health guidelines set forth in the CDC’s interim guidance regarding mass gatherings,” Cooper wrote in a letter obtained by Politico. “The people of North Carolina do not know what the status of COVID-19 will be in August, so planning for a scaled-down convention with fewer people, social distancing and face coverings is a necessity.”
“With the Nation, the State of North Carolina and the City of Charlotte still under states of emergency it’s important to conduct the RNC convention accordingly. As much as we want the conditions surrounding COVID-19 to be favorable enough for you to hold the Convention you describe in late August, it is very unlikely. Neither public health officials nor I will risk the health and safety of North Carolinians by providing the guarantee you seek,” Cooper concluded.
On May 25, Trump sent a message to Cooper pushing the governor to allow a “full” convention to take place or Trump would find another state to host the massive gathering. The convention is a four-day boon for the economy of the host city and state as tens of thousands of politicos, reporters, and tourists converge on the site.
“I love the Great State of North Carolina, so much so that I insisted on having the Republican National Convention in Charlotte at the end of August,” Trump said a series of tweets. “Unfortunately, Democrat Governor [Roy Cooper] is still in Shutdown mood [and] 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,” he continued. “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,” Trump said. If Cooper fails to offer Republicans a ‘guarantee’ that they will be able to hold the convention as planned, he warned, they’ll be “reluctantly forced” to go elsewhere. “If not, we will be reluctantly forced to find, with all of the jobs and economic development it brings, another Republican National Convention site.”
“This is not something I want to do,” he concluded. “Thank you, and I LOVE the people of North Carolina!”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member.