WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The future of the Republican National Convention in North Carolina is in limbo as President Donald Trump threatens to move it away from the state.
“I applaud the president,” Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) said Tuesday.
Congressman Walker said President Trump is right to pressure North Carolina’s governor into hosting this summer’s RNC at full capacity.
The president threatened Monday to pull the plug on the Charlotte location if Gov. Roy Cooper is “unable to guarantee” full attendance in the arena.
“We don’t want to put anybody at unnecessary risk, but I think the convention could be held without a great deal of risk involved,” Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) said.
Foxx said the governor should allow the gathering.
Gov. Cooper said he’ll use data to make the final decision.
As Democrats and Republicans debate, other states are stepping forward.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) tweeted Tuesday his state would, “be honored to safely host the Republican National Convention.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said the RNC and the DNC are welcome in the Sunshine State.
“It’s impossible for the medical experts and it is certainly impossible for the governor to predict what conditions will be in August,” Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) said Tuesday.
Butterfield said it is too early to tell whether it is safe to host the convention. But Republicans said they’re running out of time to make that call.
“Every day this is kind of hem-hawed around – it’s very dangerous to the economic side of things,” Walker added.
Walker and other Republicans said they’re going to continue to urge Gov. Cooper to allow the event to proceed as planned in Charlotte during the last week of August.
