Democrats' big-city dominance leaves GOP with few alternatives to move Trump convention

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President Trump’s threat to move the Republican convention could run headlong into the same political and logistical stumbling blocks motivating the GOP to consider yanking the event from Charlotte, North Carolina — Democratic elected officials.

Trump blames partisanship, suggesting North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has declined to guarantee that Republican delegates will be welcomed to Charlotte, and permitted to fill Spectrum Center arena to capacity, because he is a Democrat intent on derailing the convention. But even in states with friendly Republican governors that have lifted coronavirus lockdowns, cities most equipped to host the president’s renomination are ruled by Democrats and likely to resist, citing fears of a second outbreak.

On Tuesday, Gov. Brian Kemp pitched Trump via tweet to bring the Republican convention to Georgia — among the earliest states to reopen amid the pandemic. The Republican chief executive didn’t specify which city he has in mind, and his spokesman declined to elaborate. But Atlanta is the only city in the state with the convention and hotel space to host an event of this magnitude, and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat, is not interested.

“Like North Carolina, the City of Atlanta is following a phased, data-driven approach to reopening,” Bottoms told the Washington Examiner through a spokesman. “That plan does not contemplate hosting a large gathering event in August. In fact, several long-standing City-supported and sponsored events have already been canceled in order to comply with CDC guidelines.”

With the death toll in the United States from the coronavirus crossing 100,000, Trump’s convention could run into the same political resistance from local Democratic officials in major cities situated in other states with Republican governors. Florida, another state at the forefront of reopening businesses and hospitality, has emerged as a possible exception. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is a Trump ally, and Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, a Republican, told Politico he would welcome the convention.

Republicans are set to convene Aug. 24–27 for a traditional four-day nominating convention, and delegates are expressing confidence the event will be safe to attend. While lingering concerns about the coronavirus are making Democrats apprehensive about meeting in Milwaukee to nominate former Vice President Joe Biden and considering virtual alternatives, Republican National Committee Chairman Ronna McDaniel has said from the outset of the pandemic that the GOP was committed to a live convention.

Trump’s eleventh-hour threat to move the quadrennial gathering could be an empty gambit to extract more cooperation from Cooper, or simply flex his muscles for political effect. The president often vows to cancel contracts or renegotiate agreements, only to back down or declare victory despite receiving minimal concessions. The RNC is warning that Trump is not bluffing and that the party could move the convention, despite the logistical challenges posed by such a short lead time.

“The RNC wants to hold a full in-person convention in Charlotte, but we need the governor to provide assurances that it can occur. We will need some answers sooner rather than later, or we will be forced to consider other options,” an RNC spokesman said.

Cooper, who is up for reelection this year in a closely divided state that leans slightly Republican, denies that he is playing politics with the GOP convention. McDaniel previously told the Washington Examiner that the coronavirus could force adjustments to the Republican convention, but she said any decisions would wait until late June or early July.

Presidential nominating conventions are a massive logistical undertaking, so much so that few cities vie to host the events, fearing a drain on local resources and major inconvenience for local residents.

The two major parties pick host cities years in advance and plan the events for more than a year through what are essentially separate corporations formed to handle the workload. Partnerships are formed, and intense coordination occurs with the local business community, state and local governments, and federal security officials. To handle the crush of attendees, the parties, through their convention arms, reserve and assign hotel rooms, meeting space, and workspace for the media.

Reconfiguring the blueprint Republicans have drawn for Charlotte on short notice could be near impossible. And, that is if Trump can find an alternative that is willing and able to pull off the sort of high-caliber event he envisions that also satisfies post-Sept. 11, 2001, security protocols.

“I don’t think it’s logistically possible to move the convention at this point,” a senior Republican official in North Carolina said. “The only question is, what steps have to be taken to comply with the health regulations in place come convention time.”