Trump cancels plans for Republican convention in Jacksonville

President TrumpDonald John Trump Pelosi says Trump’s decision to reverse the fair housing rule is a “betrayal of our nation’s founding values.” Trump says he would consider pardons for those involved in the Mueller investigation. Fauci says he and his family have experienced “serious threats” during the pandemic. MORE He said Thursday that he would cancel the Republican convention events in Jacksonville, Florida, in August, and said the time was not right because of the coronavirus.

“I told my team that it is time to cancel the Jacksonville component of the Republican convention,” Trump told reporters at a press conference at the White House. “I will still do a convention speech in a different way, but we are not going to do a big crowded convention per se. It just isn’t the right time for that. “

Trump cited security concerns as determining his decision, noting that he did not want to be subject to negative scrutiny by the media for holding the events of the convention.

The president said the official nomination business would still take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, as planned, but did not offer further details on his expected speech. He said the party would hold “tele-rallies” and other online events the week of the convention in late August.

#BREAKING: President Trump announces that he is CANCELING the Jacksonville, Florida events of # RNC2020: “I said, ‘The timing of this event is not the right one … to have a great convention, it is not the right time.’ pic.twitter.com/LKJthPVTie

– The Hill (@thehill) July 23, 2020

The decision marks a surprising change for the president, who has lobbied for months to have a large-scale naming convention amid the coronavirus pandemic despite warnings from public health experts.

The convention was initially scheduled for Charlotte, but the Republican National Committee (RNC) moved major celebratory events, including Trump’s speech that formally accepted the party’s nomination, to Jacksonville after the president opposed the governor’s insistence North Carolina Roy Cooper (D) make the event curtail.

Health experts have warned against large gatherings, especially those held indoors, and Trump has faced criticism for holding a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June that saw few people with costumes.

Trump said Thursday that he made the decision to cancel the Jacksonville portion of the convention during a meeting with his political team earlier that day.

“I looked at my team and said that the timing for this event is not the right one. It’s just not right with what happened recently, the crisis in Florida, having a big convention is not the right time, “Trump told reporters.” For me, I have to protect the American people. “

Florida has been among the states that have seen a worrying increase in coronavirus cases in recent weeks. The Sunshine State reported a record number of daily deaths Thursday, as the total number of coronavirus infections in the United States exceeded 4 million.

The convention’s plans have been shrouded in uncertainty as a result of the pandemic and the abrupt decision to move many of the high-profile events to Jacksonville. Trump acknowledged earlier this month that Republicans were “flexible with their plans,” while a handful of Republican senators said they did not plan to attend the convention and others expressed doubts, including the majority leader of the Senate. Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSenate GOP Criticizes Coronavirus Package To Pelosi Next Week, McConnell Announces John Lewis Lying In State Overnight Defense: Senate Passes Annual Defense Policy Act That Caused Trump’s Veto Threat | The military has considered two exemptions for transgender troops since the MORE ban (R-Ky.)

Just last week, RNC president Ronna McDanielRonna Romney McDanielTrump cancels plans for Republican convention in Jacksonville Michigan teacher says he was fired after tweeting in support of Trump The Memo: Trump’s grip on the Republican Party loosens as polls sink MORE He informed members that the party would limit attendees to regular delegates for the first three days alone, limiting the audience to approximately 2,500 people. The crowd for Trump’s speech was expected to have a limit of approximately 6,000 to 7,000 people. The events were expected to take place both indoors and outdoors.

Trump largely downplayed increases in cases until this week, when, amid growing disapproval of his handling of the virus, he warned that the pandemic is likely to “get worse before it gets better.”

A convention applicant postulated that the decision to cancel it was a sign that Trump had realized the need to change the course of his approach to the coronavirus.

“It was probably inevitable that the events in Jacksonville would be canceled, the president was right to make his call and put a stopper to criticism,” the person said.

– Brett Samuels contributed reporting.

Updated: 7:15 pm