Republicans plan to move their convention nominating President Trump for a second term from an indoor arena to an outdoor venue as Florida’s coronavirus cases spike, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing a pair of party sources.
The plan, which Trump tentatively agreed to on Monday during a White House meeting with top Republican National Committee officials, according to the report, emerged as the party scrambled to host a large-scale event next month amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has sickened more than 3.3 million Americans to date and killed more than 135,000.
“We’re not blind to the health concerns in Florida,” a Republican official said. “But at the same time, we’re committed to holding an in-person celebration of the president’s nomination.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had also questioned whether the convention would go down as planned, citing the pandemic.
Organizers had planned to host the Aug. 24-27 convention at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, which has also seen a jump in cases.
They now will move the main events — including Trump’s acceptance speech — to one of two outdoor arenas in the area, the two Republican sources said.
The sources emphasized the plans still could change, and the RNC declined to comment.
Skepticism has grown about the likelihood of a full-scale convention, with some members of Congress saying they will skip it and some donors wary of bankrolling an event in a state with rising infections. Democrats are planning a mostly virtual convention.
Florida’s virus count has soared since it was chosen to host the convention after Trump scrapped long-laid plans to accept the party’s nomination in Charlotte, N.C.
That state’s governor, Democrat Roy Cooper, would not commit to allowing large gatherings with restrictions in place because of the pandemic.
Health officials reported the highest daily increase of deaths in Florida residents from COVID-19 on Tuesday.
On Sunday, the state reported more than 15,000 new cases, marking the highest single-day total of known cases in any state.