This Memorial Day, President Trump took aim at North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and threatened to pull the Republican National Convention out of Charlotte, saying that Cooper couldn't guarantee that the venue would be filled to capacity.
In a series of tweets, Trump said that although he loves the state of North Carolina so much that he "insisted" on having the convention there.
"Unfortunately, Democrat Governor, @RoyCooperNC is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed full attendance in the Arena," he wrote. "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 went on to say that Republicans who are headed to North Carolina "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!" Trump wrote.
According to CNN, Trump's tweets "completely blindsided" GOP officials and other involved in the convention's planning.
CNN reports that RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said that the Trump campaign, the RNC, and host committee are moving "full steam ahead" in planning the convention but will later assess if any changes need to be made due to the coronavirus.
"We do not think at this time we have to switch to an alternative plan, but of course, we will monitor circumstances and adjust accordingly," she said, adding, "We will not be holding a virtual convention."
