CHARLOTTE — Two GOP governors are offering up their states to host the Republican National Convention, a day after President Donald Trump demanded assurances from North Carolina’s Democratic governor that the convention can go forward in August despite coronavirus fears.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp sent an open plea to Trump on Tuesday to consider his state as an alternate site. Kemp’s offer was followed by one from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
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In a letter that North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen sent to the RNC, she requested a written plan for how the convention plans to address COVID-19 safety protocols.
“Jordan Whichard from Governor Cooper’s team shared with you the written protocols that NASCAR developed and then refined after discussions with our public health teams which allowed that event to occur in the Charlotte area this past weekend,” she wrote. “While the RNC convention is obviously a very different event with its unique challenges for COVID-19, we hoped it would help illustrate the type of plan that would facilitate further conversations. The status of COVID-19 infections in our state and in the Charlotte area continues to rapidly evolve, thus, it will be important to have several scenarios planned that can be deployed depending on the public health situation."
”Everyone wants to get back into action soon, but I think everyone knows that we have to take certain steps to make sure we’re protected," Cooper said on Tuesday.
He reiterated that the state wants to see a written plan from the RNC. Currently, mass gatherings at venues like arenas are prohibited as part of Cooper’s executive order because of the potential spread of the novel coronavirus.
Following President Trump's tweets, NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen sent this letter to GOP Convention CEO Marcia Lee Kelly asking for a written plan on how to approach the COVID-19 safety aspects of the convention #RNC2020 @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/GejCBffcJM
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) May 26, 2020
The convention is set to gather more than 2,500 delegates and thousands more guests, press and security officials. Plans have been underway for more than a year to hold it in Charlotte.
On Monday, Cooper responded to Trump’s tweet, saying, “State health officials are working with the RNC and will review its plan as they make decisions about how to hold the convention in Charlotte. North Carolina is relying on data and science to protect our state’s public health and safety.”
Cooper elaborated on Tuesday about his response to Trump’s threat to pull the Republican National Convention out of North Carolina. The governor was asked for his response to the tweets during a news conference.
“I’m not surprised by anything that I see on Twitter,” he said. “It’s OK for political conventions to be political, but pandemic response cannot be.”
Cooper said that the state health department has been in talks with the RNC about what the convention can look like. Cooper said the virus will still be with us in August.
“We are not going to sacrifice the health and safety of North Carolinians,” he said Tuesday. “That’s the bottom line.”
In a series of tweets Monday morning, the president threatened to pull the event out of North Carolina if Cooper doesn’t immediately sign off on allowing a full-capacity gathering in August, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump’s tweets Monday came just two days after the state recorded its largest daily increase in positive cases yet. Currently, mass gatherings at venues like arenas are prohibited as part of Cooper’s executive order because of the potential spread of the novel coronavirus.
The RNC is set for Aug. 24 through Aug. 27 at the Spectrum Center and Charlotte Convention Center. Trump expressed his concern about spending millions of dollars without knowing if the state would allow them to fully occupy the space.
Trump said if he is not given an answer, he will find another location for the convention.
“This is not something I want to do,” Trump said. “Thank you, and I love the people of North Carolina.”
The convention is expected to bring tens of thousands of visitors to the Charlotte area and millions of dollars to the local economy.
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Channel 9′s government reporter Joe Bruno has been following announcements about the RNC since it was named the host city in 2018. He reported that Trump is not a party in the RNC 2020 contract -- it is an agreement between the city of Charlotte and the RNC Host Committee.
“The Republican National Convention, the Host committee, the CRVA, the city and the county, those are the parties that are actually a member of this particular agreement,” city attorney Patrick Baker said last year.
In addition, the Charlotte City Council voted to accept $50 million from the Department of Justice to cover security costs last month and the city has already spent millions to prepare for the convention.
The city of Charlotte did put a provision in their contract with the RNC saying if the $50 million from the DOJ didn’t come through, the city can cancel hosting. If the city cancels in that circumstance, the host committee would have to cover costs up to that point.
As of Monday morning, North Carolina was in Phase 2 of reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This means indoor dining at restaurants, pools and personal care services could reopen but not without some changes such as limited capacity and strict safety guidelines.
It is unclear when we will be able to enter Phase 3 and what will be able to reopen in that phase.
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