Part of Republican National Convention will be held in Jacksonville (UPDATE: No it won't)

[Mr. Morden]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/25/politics/trump-threatens-charlotte-republican-convention/index.html

Trump: "Plans are being made by many thousands of enthusiastic Republicans, and others, to head to beautiful North Carolina in August. They 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!"

The tweets completely blindsided party officials and those involved in planning the convention, who have repeatedly argued that health and safety will come first. The officials have insisted planning for the convention is on track.

Pence floated Florida, Georgia, and Texas as options:

However, Vice President Mike Pence echoed Trump on Monday, telling Fox News the convention could be moved "if need be" and listing some states that could be alternative locations.

"It's an issue we've been talking about because these national conventions literally take many months to organize and prepare and there are states around the country -- we think of Texas, we think of Florida, Georgia, the last two states I visited last week that have made tremendous progress on reopening their communities and reopening their economies," Pence said.

[Mr. Morden]

Could they even move it? The RNC is exactly 3 months from now. (August 24th-27th) That is extremely short notice for an event this large.

I don't see how they could pull off a full scale RNC in another city with this kind of notice, but am wondering if some kind of downsized version would be doable (and if NC doesn't let them do even that, if they would move elsewhere).

[Mr. Morden]

Trump has apparently floated doing a scaled down RNC "in a hotel ballroom in Florida", and the Florida GOP says they're willing to step in:

https://twitter.com/albamonica/status/1264969700414574594

[Mr. Morden]

Like the Florida GOP, the Georgia GOP also sounds interested in being a backup option:

https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/the-jolt-the-case-against-putting-ahmaud-arbery-name-hate-crimes-bill/lPTCbo1RRkgNbOIyJiAFOL/

Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump, in a Twitter message, threatened to move the August gathering out of Charlotte unless the state’s Democratic governor guarantees full attendance. Before the pandemic, the RNC had said it expected 50,000 to attend.

Gov. Brian Kemp said Tuesday, via the president’s preferred messaging service, that he would be delighted to see it happen. And Georgia GOP chair David Shafer said that he has spoken to both the governor and the Republican National Committee about the possibility.

[Mr. Morden]

Here's Kemp's pitch:

https://twitter.com/GovKemp/status/1265278545628221440

[Mr. Morden]

NYT on the behind the scenes conversation with NC:

https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1265298610146639873

[Mr. Morden]

https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1266142877031305216

[Mr. Morden]

DeSantis says something might happen on the convention front "within the next week":

https://twitter.com/PatriciaMazzei/status/1266463816868651008

[Mr. Morden]

Matt Lewis floats the idea of the party holding a very scaled back event for most of the week to conduct essential party business, but then capping it off with a big outdoor rally type event for Trump's acceptance speech ("probably in the deep South, where local government will allow it"):

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-will-risk-thousands-getting-sick-so-he-can-give-a-big-convention-speech?ref=author

But Trump obviously has demonstrated the logistical ability to organize very large rallies very quickly. One could imagine a sort of hybrid scenario where the business meeting part of a convention is truncated, and Trump formally accepts the nomination at some other large outdoor location (probably in the deep South, where local government will allow it), where he delivers the televised speech to a packed crowd.

Another possibility would be Trump’s Doral golf resort in Florida. Though Trump has denied interest in using the location, why should we take him at his word? Already, the Florida GOP has said they would welcome it. Back in October, Trump planned to hold the June 2020 G7 meeting there—before bowing to pressure. It’s presumably less messy to hold a party event there. If he and his sleazy family can make a buck off it, why wouldn’t they try?

[Mr. Morden]

The RNC's fallback options:

https://twitter.com/anniekarni/status/1267887404582686720

[Mr. Morden]

The RNC's fallback options:

https://twitter.com/anniekarni/status/1267887404582686720

I mentioned awhile ago that Las Vegas is the natural fit for a Trump convention. Of course, local and state leadership won't be onboard with it. This is going to cause massive headaches for the RNC, not only will it be a pain to reschedule on such short notice, but very few local and state governments are going to be willing to set up the venue to Trump's specifications.

I still think the RNC will end up compromising as needed on scaling back the size of the convention as long as Trump is allowed to end the week with an acceptance speech that's done as a big outdoor rally with lots of people.  I assume that some local/state government somewhere in the South will agree to that.

[Mr. Morden]

The RNC may be contractually stuck with doing the actual “party business” aspect of the convention in Charlotte, but is aiming to put on the televised speeches in another city….possibly multiple other cities.  At least one mayor (the mayor of Jacksonville, FL) is OK with their city being a convention host:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gop-looks-beyond-north-carolina-for-convention-as-relations-deteriorate-with-state-leaders/2020/06/02/e9cf9106-a4fa-11ea-b619-3f9133bbb482_story.html

Because of contractual obligations with Charlotte, Republicans still expect to conduct much of the convention’s official business in North Carolina, including votes on Trump’s formal nomination and the proceedings of the platform committee.

But the event’s televised centerpiece — including Trump’s speech to the large crowd that he has insisted on — is now more likely to take place elsewhere, for one or more nights.
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Republicans are exploring the possibility of moving the convention to multiple cities, according to two GOP officials, including Jacksonville, Fla.; Orlando; Las Vegas; and Nashville.

Trump has been personally involved in the planning, calling Cooper last Friday to talk about the event. He spoke by phone the same day with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) about moving the convention, according to a person close to the governor, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
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Meetings were held in Jacksonville on Monday to discuss potential logistics, including the number of available hotel rooms and venues that could host the president and thousands of supporters, said two Republicans in the state.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry reiterated Tuesday that he was encouraging the move.

[Mr. Morden]

Trump's pulled out.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/elections-2020/trump-says-hes-yanking-rnc-from-north-carolina-over-potential-pandemic-restrictions/ar-BB14WudU

As noted above, the RNC is contractually obligated to go ahead with Charlotte at least for the "party business" side of the convention, so we'll probably end up with a convention that's split between Charlotte and some other city (perhaps Jacksonville).

[Mr. Morden]

While it sounds like Jacksonville and Nashville discussions / site visits are planned or already happening, Orlando has been floated, but no one's told officials in Orange County anything yet:

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article243232106.html

A spokeswoman for Orange County — where Orlando is located — told the Miami Herald that no one from the RNC has reached out “as of last night.”

“The Orange County Convention Center has not received any requests to host the RNC,” said spokeswoman Despina McLaughlin. “Additionally, the RNC has not asked for a site visit or requested to host an event at the Orange County Convention Center.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference in the city Wednesday afternoon, but not to talk about the convention. DeSantis has said publicly that he would “love” for Florida to host the event, but it’s unclear if he’s spoken directly to Trump or to the Republican National Committee about that possibility.

Tampa has also been raised as a possibility, given that the city hosted the Republican convention in 2012.

[Mr. Morden]

Bill Lee is (unsurprisingly) onboard with Nashville hosting the RNC:

https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/gov-lee-says-office-in-early-conversations-on-potentially-moving-gop-convention-to-nashville/

Lee also addressed the possibility of Nashville becoming the new host city for the 2020 Republican National Convention. While Lee said he has not had direct conversation about plans to move the convention from Charlotte, he said his office is in early discussions with GOP leaders.

“We certainly would be interested in welcoming that to our city,” Lee said. “It would be a great opportunity for us to build upon the economic recovery that’s already occurring.”

Lee also said he thinks GOP leaders will be coming to Nashville on Thursday to tour the city.

[Mr. Morden]

https://twitter.com/steveholland1/status/1268313834760155139

[Mr. Morden]

Things are still on track for Charlotte to host the “official business” of the convention.  It’s possible that the only thing held elsewhere will be Trump’s acceptance speech, though we don’t know for sure.  Unclear how many of the delegates will have to actually be in Charlotte for “official business”:

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/rnc-2020/article243232306.html

In a statement shortly after the president’s Tuesday night tweets, GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Charlotte would continue to host the “official business of the convention.”

That could include everything from meetings of the platform and rules committees to the actual roll-call nominations of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

Trump’s acceptance speech would come elsewhere. It would be the first time a party convention has been held in two cities since 1860, when Democrats met first in Charleston and then, after a dispute over their slavery plank, in Baltimore.

At least part of the convention business would be held in Charlotte to abide by the city’s contract with the GOP’s Committee on Arrangements, party officials told the New York Times. There is no concrete definition of what constitutes a convention in the contract.

[Mr. Morden]

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/republicans-look-multi-city-convention-trump-s-renomination-n1225331

As Republicans scramble to reboot the GOP convention, one option gaining traction is a multistate affair with major speeches and rallies in a variety of cities, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

Part of the appeal of the roadshow approach is that it could allow President Donald Trump to claim having commanded the highest-attended convention audience in history, they said, and to accept his renomination with all the fanfare he envisioned.

"I think it's going to be a glorified rally," a person familiar with the conversations said of the president's keynote address.
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GOP officials are already on the ground in places like Orlando and Jacksonville, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; Dallas; Phoenix; and New Orleans. They may also schedule scouting visits to Atlanta; Savannah, Georgia; and Las Vegas in the weeks to come.
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One way that might work would be for rallies to feed into a venue in Charlotte by video on the first three nights of the convention, ending with delegates attending the president's keynote speech on the final night in person in a different city.

[Mr. Morden]

https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1269264437594251264

[Mr. Morden]

RNC chair says decision likely in the next week or so:

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jun/9/ronna-mcdaniel-rnc-chief-decision-convention-will-/

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Tuesday said organizers planning the Republican National Convention will likely have to decide in the next week or so on where parts of it will be relocated.

She mentioned Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, Texas and Tennessee as states that have lobbied to host it after North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, said he couldn’t guarantee full use of an arena in Charlotte amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’ve been traveling,” Ms. McDaniel said on “Fox & Friends.” “We will have to make a decision probably within the next week as to where we’re going to have this celebration.”

Meanwhile, Savannah, GA is the latest city on the radar:

https://www.abqjournal.com/1464504/republicans-tour-savannah-as-possible-gop-convention-site.html

Organizers of the Republican National Convention are giving Georgia’s oldest city a close look as a possible replacement venue for the August convention after President Donald Trump dumped Charlotte, North Carolina, as the site where he’ll accept the GOP nomination.

Gov. Brian Kemp joined GOP convention CEO Marcia Lee Kelly on Monday for a tour of Savannah and its convention center on Hutchinson Island, which overlooks the city’s historic and tourist-friendly riverfront.
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The group was greeted by Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, City Hall spokesman Nick Zoller said. Johnson was openly critical of Kemp’s decision to start lifting business closures imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus in late April. He sounded skeptical Monday about the city hosting the GOP convention.

“I am strongly concerned about the impact that a convention of this magnitude would have on the health, safety and welfare of our city, her citizens and our budget,” Johnson said in a statement. “That being said, I am not privy to, or familiar with, any proposal or plans relating to the 2020 Republican National Convention, but I am open and willing to hear what they have to say.”

[Mr. Morden]

Seeking a city willing to allow a large-scale event amid the coronavirus pandemic, Republicans have tentatively settled on Jacksonville, Fla., as the new destination for the premier festivities of the Republican National Convention in August, according to three Republican officials briefed on the plans.

The details of the arrangement are still in flux and RNC aides are scrambling to determine whether the northern Florida city has enough hotel rooms to accommodate the quadrennial event, which typically kicks off the final stretch of the presidential campaign.

Republican officials were in Jacksonville on Monday looking at the city and the surrounding areas.

The convention’s more routine and lower-profile meetings still would take place in Charlotte, the original host site for the convention, according to two officials. Those smaller meetings are intended to honor the RNC’s contractual obligation to hold its convention in North Carolina and shield the party from lawsuits for moving the large events elsewhere.

[...]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gop-expects-to-move-its-convention-to-jacksonville-after-dispute-with-north-carolina-over-pandemic-safeguards/2020/06/09/8c96e088-aaaa-11ea-a9d9-a81c1a491c52_story.html

Fox News's sources say it's not quite as much of a done deal for Jacksonville as WaPo says:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jacksonville-seen-as-strong-contender-in-rnc-search-for-new-convention-site

Multiple GOP officials confirmed to Fox News that the northern Florida city is considered “a strong contender.”

But those same Republican Party officials caution that the search is ongoing and remains fluid. Other possibilities include Savannah, Ga.; Nashville, Tenn.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Dallas, Texas.

“We are still considering several cities and no final decision has been made,” a Republican source familiar with convention discussions told Fox News on Wednesday.

[Mr. Morden]

No done deal yet, but Jacksonville considered the heavy frontrunner:

https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2020/06/10/jacksonville-is-frontrunner-in-race-for-gop-convention-1292314

“While no final decision has been made by the RNC we understand Jacksonville is a front runner,” Republican Party of Florida Chair Joe Gruters, co-chair of President Donald Trump’s 2016 Florida campaign, tweeted Wednesday. “This certainly has been generating a lot of attention and excitement. We continue to believe that Florida would be the best place for the convention.”

A person familiar with the process said that unless there is a “huge blow up,” Jacksonville will host part of the convention, including Trump’s speech to accept his nomination as the party's presidential candidate.

“It hits two [television] markets — Florida and Georgia — [Trump] has been to the arena and likes it, so there isn't an issue there. I think It’s about 99 percent at this point,” said a Republican consultant involved in the process. “There was the concern about hotel rooms, but that has really been put to bed. The city has what they need.”

[Mr. Morden]

About 300-ish delegates will still attend in person in Charlotte to at least conduct the business of officially nominating Trump and Pence, with I guess the rest either attending the festivities in Jacksonville or wherever else they go, or else just connecting remotely from home I suppose:

https://twitter.com/politicoalex/status/1270857601790750720

https://twitter.com/politicoalex/status/1270858278394880000

https://twitter.com/politicoalex/status/1270858843694796802

[Mr. Morden]

McDaniel confirms on the record that Jacksonville is the frontrunner for Trump's acceptance speech:

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/report-gop-tentatively-selects-jacksonville-host-rnc-after-dispute-over-pandemic-safeguards/7AUS4H3DPNGDHEOPGGVN42NATE/

Jacksonville, Florida, is the front-runner to host the celebration marking President Trump’s acceptance of his party’s nomination for reelection. That’s according to Ronna McDaniel, who heads the Republican National Committee.

She said in a radio interview Wednesday that reports of a final decision are “definitely premature” but that Jacksonville is the favorite now.

Hotel rooms across Jacksonville have been blocked off for late August, a week after the state’s Aug. 18 primary, and that’s intensifying the speculation.

[Mr. Morden]

https://twitter.com/ZekeJMiller/status/1271240087100100608

https://twitter.com/tackettdc/status/1271240174513598465