Tag: Jacksonville

The Memo: Convention cancellation adds to Trump’s troubles

The Hill logoPresident Trump’s decision to cancel one of the biggest events of his reelection campaign is fresh proof of the vexing landscape he faces in his bid for a second term.

Trump announced on Thursday that the portion of the Republican National Convention that had been scheduled for Jacksonville, Fla., would be canceled.

The president would have given his acceptance speech in the Florida city on Aug. 27 — an option he had initially wanted to exercise after being irked by social distancing requirements in the convention’s original location of Charlotte, N.C. Continue reading.

Trump cancels Jacksonville portion of GOP convention

Axios logoPresident Trump says he’s canceled the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida, citing health concerns over the coronavirus and a need to protect the public.

What he’s saying: Trump made the announcement from the White House briefing room, saying he would still give a speech accepting the nomination “in a different form,” and that delegates still would convene in Charlotte, N.C., earlier that week as planned for party business. Trump claims he told his team “the timing for this event is not right, it’s just not right,” adding, “I have to protect the American people.”

Our thought bubble:In the wake of the Tulsa rally debacle, where many of Trump’s elderly supporters stayed away for fear of COVID-19, Trump’s aides have been urging him to publicly address their concerns. Continue reading.

Trump’s unpaid security bills are finally catching up with him as Florida sheriff reveals he can’t secure RNC convention

AlterNet logoRepublicans have one month to pull off their convention in Florida, where the coronavirus has gotten so bad that some municipalities are starting to talk about shutting down again.

Politico reported Monday that the sheriff of Jacksonville, Florida is in a particularly difficult spot as the convention day approaches. He explained that the “lack of clear plans, adequate funding and enough law enforcement officers” means he can no longer provide security for the event.

“As we’re talking today, we are still not close to having some kind of plan that we can work with that makes me comfortable that we’re going to keep that event and the community safe,” said Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams. “It’s not my event to plan, but I can just tell you that what has been proposed in my opinion is not achievable right now … from a law enforcement standpoint, from a security standpoint.” Continue reading.

How the Republican Convention Created Money Woes in Two Cities

New York Times logoDonors are wondering why they gave to a Charlotte event that has mostly been scrapped. And Jacksonville fund-raisers find money is on hold because of concerns about the surge in virus cases.

WASHINGTON — The abrupt uprooting of the Republican National Convention from Charlotte to Jacksonville has created a tangled financial predicament for party officials as they effectively try to pay for two big events instead of one.

Tens of millions of dollars have already been spent in a city that will now host little more than a G.O.P. business meeting, and donors are wary of opening their wallets again to bankroll a Jacksonville gathering thrown into uncertainty by a surge in coronavirus cases.

Organizers are trying to assuage vexed Republicans who collectively gave millions of dollars for a Charlotte event that has mostly been scrapped. The host committee there has spent virtually all of the $38 million it raised before the convention was moved, leaving almost nothing to return to donors, or to pass on to the new host city. Continue reading.

Trump’s convention bash upended by Florida’s coronavirus crisis

MIAMI — President Donald Trump redirected the Republican National Convention to Florida after North Carolina’s Democratic governor couldn’t “guarantee” a full venue in August because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But with coronavirus cases skyrocketing in Florida as Trump’s poll numbers drop in his must-win battleground state, it looks like the president won’t get his full-blown festivities there, either.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a close Trump ally, refused to say on Tuesday whether he would lift a rule mandating that indoor gatherings stay under 50 percent capacity — which would hold the Jacksonville convention to 7,500 people. Two octogenarian GOP senators, Lamar Alexander and Chuck Grassley, announced they wouldn’t attend the convention amid the pandemic, which has hit the elderly the hardest. Continue reading. Continue reading.

Jacksonville to host 2020 Republican National Convention

The most prominent parts of the Republican National Convention are coming to Jacksonville, including President Trump’s acceptance speech

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced Thursday night that Jacksonville, Florida has been selected as the host city to celebrate the renomination of President Donald J. Trump.

Jacksonville is going to be in the national spotlight in late August as the River City hosts major parts of the Republican National Convention for the first time. It’s also the first time in history that the convention will be split, as some of the business parts of the event will still be held in Charlotte, the original host city.

President Trump and the GOP pulled the convention from North Carolina because the Governor would not guarantee that a full crowd would be allowed inside the city’s 19,000-seat Spectrum Center for events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including nomination acceptance speeches by President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Instead those events, along with many of the publicly viewed parts of the convention, will be held in Jacksonville’s 15,000-seat Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena.

Jacksonville beat out other cities under consideration including Nashville, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Orlando.  Republican Mayor Lenny Curry lobbied publicly for the event to be held on the First Coast and Governor Ron Desantis said the state would welcome the event with open arms.