North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper's (D) office on Monday responded to President Donald Trump's threat to move the Republican National Convention out of Charlotte if the state does not allow full attendance in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a series of tweets on Monday, Trump suggested that the convention would be moved unless the party is allowed to "fully occupy" Charlotte's Spectrum Center, which holds nearly 20,000 people.
"Unfortunately, Democrat Governor, @RoyCooperNC is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed full attendance in the Arena," Trump said. "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."
In a statement, a spokesperson for Cooper said that the state would be "relying on science and data" to inform public health policy.
"State health officials are working with the RNC and will review its plans as they make decisions about how to hold the convention in Charlotte," the statement said. "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: https://t.co/xDuNWstqjQ— Governor Roy Cooper (@Governor Roy Cooper) 1590417731.0
New from an RNC official, echoing Trump's threat: "The RNC wants to hold a full in-person convention in Charlotte,… https://t.co/mMq4ZvtybG— Monica Alba (@Monica Alba) 1590419608.0
