Trump Cancels Republican National Convention in Jacksonville Citing Coronavirus Concerns

The Republican National Convention will no longer hold events in Jacksonville, Fla., President Trump said Thursday, citing a coronavirus “flare-up” in the city.

“I looked at my team and I said the timing for this event is not right,” he said Thursday during a White House coronavirus briefing. “With what’s happened recently, the flare-up in Florida, to have a big convention, it’s not the right time.”

Delegates will still meet in Charlotte, North Carolina as planned, Trump said, but events in Jacksonville, including his nomination acceptance speech, will no longer be held in-person.

The convention had initially been scheduled to take place in its entirety in Charlotte, until the decision was made to split the convention between the two cities — a move prompted by North Carolina officials’ reluctance to ensure that President Trump would be able to accept his nomination in a packed arena.

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel had said in a letter to delegates last week that the convention would be pared down to mitigate the spread of the virus — with the initial days of the convention limited to only delegates — around 2,500 people — and events held in a mix of large indoor and outdoor venues.