Georgia offers to host GOP convention if Trump pulls it out of North Carolina

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) offered to host the Republican National Convention in his home state on Tuesday after President Trump threatened to pull the gathering from North Carolina.

“With world-class facilities, restaurants, hotels, and workforce, Georgia would be honored to safely host the Republican National Convention,” Kemp tweeted. “We hope you will consider the Peach State, @realdonaldtrump!”

With world-class facilities, restaurants, hotels, and workforce, Georgia would be honored to safely host the Republican National Convention. We hope you will consider the Peach State, @realdonaldtrump!

— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) May 26, 2020

The Republican National Convention is currently slated to take place in Charlotte, N.C., from Aug. 24 to 27. But in a series of tweets on Monday, Trump accused the state’s Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, of being in a “shutdown mood” because of the coronavirus pandemic, saying that unless North Carolina could guarantee full attendance, the GOP would find another site for its convention.

“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,” Trump wrote. “Plans are being made by many thousands of enthusiastic Republicans, and others, to head to beautiful North Carolina in August.”

“They must be immediately given an answer by the Governor as to whether or not the space will be allowed to be fully occupied. If not, we will be reluctantly forced 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!”

In separate remarks on “Fox & Friends” on Monday, Vice President Pence also raised the possibility of moving the convention to another state if tougher restrictions remain in place in North Carolina. He named Florida, Texas and Georgia as potential host states. 

Leaders from both parties are scrambling to figure out how to hold their national conventions amid the coronavirus pandemic, worrying that full-scale, in-person gatherings could worsen the spread of the virus. At the same time, the conventions are high-profile events that the parties and their nominees see as crucial unifying events ahead of the fall elections. 

Democrats already pushed back their national convention in Milwaukee from July to August amid concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. While party officials insist that some sort of in-person gathering will happen, the party’s rules committee moved earlier this month to give the convention’s CEO, Joe Solmonese, more authority to limit the size of the gathering if deemed necessary. 

At the same time, Democratic National Committee members and delegates will be allowed to vote on party business remotely. 

Republicans have been more reluctant to shift around their convention plans. Ronna Romney McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said last month that the party, the Trump campaign and the host committee are moving “full steam ahead” with their convention plans.