Early Monday morning, on Memorial Day, President Donald Trump rushed to Twitter with apparent personal offense at the fact that North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D) had undertaken lockdown steps in his state in an attempt to stem the spread of the Coronavirus. Trump threatened to move the planned Republican National Convention out of the state — although it’s not clear where he’d move it to, since Charlotte, North Carolina, is apparently the only city that submitted a bid for hosting. In the meantime, Governor Cooper’s office has responded to the president with a stern insistence that they will be relying on public health standards rather than his political whims.
Amusing that Trump is now threatening to pull the Republican National Convention from Charlotte.
Apparently, it was the only city that submitted a bid.
Good luck finding a new location with three months to go. https://t.co/Cgy7fs89ye
— Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44) May 25, 2020
A spokesperson for Cooper insisted:
‘State health officials are working with the RNC and will review its plans as they make decisions about hot to hold the convention in Charlotte. North Carolina is relying on data and science to protect our state’s public health and safety.’
Statement from Gov. Cooper’s spokesperson on today’s comments about the Republican National Convention: pic.twitter.com/xDuNWstqjQ
— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) May 25, 2020
Originally, Trump had suggested that the lockdown orders in North Carolina could constitute some kind of political plot to derail the Republican National Convention. There is no evidence for this claim — many states and many countries have imposed lockdown orders amidst the pandemic.
Still, Trump tweeted:
‘Unfortunately, Democrat Governor, @RoyCooperNC is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed full attendance in the Arena… we would be spending millions of dollars building the Arena to a very high standard without even knowing if the Democrat Governor would allow the Republican Party to fully occupy the space.’
Thus, he added, the GOP should get an immediate answer from the governor as to his plans for allowing large gatherings or not.
…full attendance in the Arena. In other words, we would be spending millions of dollars building the Arena to a very high standard without even knowing if the Democrat Governor would allow the Republican Party to fully occupy the space. Plans are being….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 25, 2020
…to find, with all of the jobs and economic development it brings, another Republican National Convention site. This is not something I want to do. Thank you, and I LOVE the people of North Carolina!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 25, 2020
The virus is not something that can be wished away just because the president wants to hold a de facto rally. Deaths from the Coronavirus could continue all the way through early August, right before the Republican convention would be held, and getting tens of thousands of people together in an enclosed space and then sending them back across the country to their respective homes could be the perfect scenario to keep the virus spreading.
Check out Twitter’s response to Cooper below:
