CHARLOTTE, NC (CelebrityAccess) — U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he’s moving the Republican National Convention from its previously announced host city of Charlotte, North Carolina. Trump’s threat to move the convention comes hours after N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper said he was unable to guarantee that the August event would be able to take place at full capacity due to coronavirus restrictions.
The convention was scheduled to take place at venues around the City of Charlotte, including the 19,000-capacity Spectrum Center.
In a series of tweet on Tuesday night, Trump said:
Had long planned to have the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, a place I love. Now, @NC_Governor Roy Cooper and his representatives refuse to guarantee that we can have use of the Spectrum Arena – Spend millions of dollars, have everybody arrive, and then tell them they will not be able to gain entry. Governor Cooper is still in Shelter-In-Place Mode, and not allowing us to occupy the arena as originally anticipated and promised.
“Would have showcased beautiful North Carolina to the World, and brought in hundreds of millions of dollars, and jobs, for the State. Because of @NC_Governor, we are now forced to seek another State to host the 2020 Republican National Convention,” Trump added.
Trump’s inevitable tweets followed remarks on Tuesday by Governor Cooper, who said Tuesday that he could not guarantee the “full convention” with 19,000 delegates, volunteers, press and supporters in the Spectrum Center that RNC planners were hoping for.
Cooper also said the RNC required “full hotels and restaurants and bars at capacity” but that with the present uncertainty about the trajectory of coronavirus, he was ready to work with convention planners on a scaled-down event.
“We have been committed to a safe RNC convention in North Carolina and it’s unfortunate they never agreed to scale down and make changes to keep people safe. Protecting public health and safety during this pandemic is a priority,” Gov. Cooper tweeted on Tuesday night.
According to NBC News, a spokesperson for the RNC confirmed the nominating part of the convention will be moved to another city.
“Should the governor allow more than 10 people in a room, we still hope to conduct the official business of the convention in Charlotte,” the official said in a statement to NBC.
