GOP votes for stripped-down convention in Charlotte and moving Trump acceptance speech
Republicans voted Wednesday night to greatly curtail Charlotte events for August’s scheduled Republican National Convention.
An event that once was projected to attract more than 50,000 people to Charlotte — including delegates, party officials, media and others — has been reduced to a bare minimum by the Republican National Committee’s executive committee. A fraction of the expected delegates will now attend the event, which begins Aug. 24.
President Donald Trump’s acceptance speech, the centerpiece event, will be moved to another state after N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper said he could not guarantee that the full attendance of 19,000 people would be allowed at the Spectrum Center due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Jacksonville, Fla. is the current front-runner to host the speech, RNC chairman Ronna McDaniel said Wednesday morning.
North Carolina is in the second phase of lifting coronavirus-related restrictions, and indoor gatherings are limited to 10 people. Phase Three, with the potential for larger gatherings, could happen later this month if the state continues to meet certain testing and case benchmarks.
But North Carolina has set a new high for coronavirus-related hospitalizations in each of the last three days. More than 1,000 North Carolina residents have died from the coronavirus.
Scaled-down convention approved
Wednesday night, an RNC spokesperson released a statement that outlines how the event will be held in Charlotte.
“The RNC’s Executive Committee has unanimously approved procedures that allow for official convention business to continue in Charlotte. Many cities are eager to host the president’s acceptance of the nomination, and talks are continuing with several of them to host that celebration,” an RNC spokesperson said in a statement.
Here is a look at what was approved Wednesday:
▪ The group voted to reduce the number of delegates coming to Charlotte to 336 — six each from states and territories. Republicans have nearly 2,500 delegates in their nominating process. All delegates will still vote for the president and vice president nominations, even if they’re not in Charlotte.
▪ Each state’s six delegates will vote on all other convention business.
▪ All delegates and alternates will be permitted to attend the acceptance speech and may each bring a guest, if permitted by law.
▪ The executive committee also canceled all other committees, outside of the credentials committee. The powerful platform committee will not meet, and the platform approved in 2016 will remain for 2020.
NC Governor voices concerns
The official vote is the latest in a back-and-forth between Cooper’s administration and Republican organizers, including Trump. On Memorial Day, Trump first indicated he was considering moving the convention. Cooper is a Democrat.
In the weeks since, the parties have swapped proposals with Cooper not bending on his insistence for social distancing and face coverings and the president not yielding in his desire to deliver a speech before a packed house. The pair had a phone call earlier this month.
“We’ll see how it all works out, but the governor doesn’t want to give an inch,” Trump said Wednesday at the White House.
Earlier Wednesday, before the RNC committee announcement, Cooper spokeswoman Dory MacMillan said in a statement: “State and local partners have been willing to work together with the RNC on a scaled-down event with health and safety measures, but it wouldn’t be responsible to guarantee a full arena as the RNC has demanded.
“State officials will continue to support health and safety aspects of any activities that do remain in North Carolina.”
Also Wednesday, the Charlotte host committee, charged with raising almost $70 million for the event, called moving the acceptance speech “a clear violation” of contracts with the city and other local groups.
“We have learned from news reports that the Republican National Committee has moved the convention from Charlotte to Jacksonville,” the committee said in a statement Wednesday. “This decision is in clear violation of the agreements made with the City of Charlotte, the County of Mecklenburg, Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, and the Charlotte Host Committee.
McClatchyDC White House correspondent Francesca Chambers contributed to this report.
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