One state’s health concerns are being viewed as a potential cash cow by others.
After President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to move the Republican National Convention from Charlotte, North Carolina because of potential coronavirus health restrictions, other states are offering themselves as alternatives.
“With world-class facilities, restaurants, hotels, and workforce, Georgia would be honored to safely host the Republican National Convention. We hope you will consider the Peach State, @realdonaldtrump !” Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted on Tuesday.
The Florida Republican Party was quicker on the draw, tweeting a statement Monday from state party chair Joe Gruters offering Trump’s new home state as an alternative to North Carolina.
“Florida is committed to ensuring a safe, secure and successful event for President @realDonaldTrump and all attendees,” Gruters said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis weighed in at a press conference Tuesday, saying “Florida would love to have the RNC.”
Let our news meet your inbox. The news and stories that matters, delivered weekday mornings.
He said he hasn’t spoken to Trump about the issue, but his office has been in touch with the White House and the Trump campaign.
“We should try to get it done as best we can in accordance with whatever safety requirements. His government will be talking about the safety restrictions, the president’s government,” DeSantis said.
“If we can get that done and do that in a way that’s safe that would be a huge economic impact for Florida,” he added.
Trump knocked down one potential Florida locale on Monday, tweeting that “I have zero interest in moving the Republican National Convention to Doral in Miami, as falsely reported by the Fake News @nytimes in order to stir up trouble,” although the paper did not report he was planning on holding the event at the Doral, a property he owns.
Trump said the Doral’s ballroom “is not nearly big enough & would like to stay in N.C., whose gov. doesn’t even know if he can let people in?”
That was a reference to Gov. Roy Cooper, who’s said he’s been negotiating with convention planners but intends to use “data and science” to protect the state’s public health. North Carolina recently reported its highest number of new cases in a single day.
Trump said Monday he needs a “guarantee” the venue would be able to be at full capacity for the event, which is currently scheduled Aug. 24-27. The Republican National Committee said last week it was planning for an event that would gather 50,000 people, although NBC News reported last month that Republican officials were quietly making contingency plans for a scaled-back convention, if necessary.
“Unfortunately, Democrat Governor, [Roy Cooper] is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed full attendance in the Arena,” Trump tweeted.
“If not, we will be reluctantly forced to find, with all of the jobs and economic development it brings, another Republican National Convention site,” he said.
Charlotte was selected to host the event back in July of 2018.
Vice President Mike Pence acknowledged to Fox News in an interview on Monday that there had been ongoing conversations about moving the event, and suggested states already further along in the reopening process than North Carolina could make more sense.
“There are states around the country, we think of Texas, we think of Florida, Georgia . . . 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 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 re-nominate President Donald Trump for four more years,” Pence said.
