Governor Roy Cooper sent a letter to RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and President & CEO of the RNC Marcia Kelly with his ideas for the RNC in August in Charlotte,
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,
Governor Roy Cooper
The convention was expected to draw an estimated 50,000 people to Charlotte’s Spectrum Center, home of the NBA Hornets. WBTV reported on Friday that President Donald Trump called North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, asking him to allow the GOP convention to go on as planned in Charlotte with no social distancing and no masks.
Two important points to note
- Politico is reporting that GOP officials are expected to make a trip to Nashville later this week, likely Thursday or Friday, and party officials say it’s likely they will visit other possible sites for the RNC in the coming days.
- The Charlotte Observer reported on Friday that RNC organizers could ask the courts to force Charlotte to host the event or pay millions of dollars in damages if city leaders don’t allow the event to happen.
Based on these two points it seems pretty clear Governor Roy Cooper has a vested interest in getting the GOP to move venues without him or Charlotte having to do so by decree.
