Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is open to having the Republican National Convention in his state.
When asked what his message is to the Republican National Committee (RNC) and President Donald Trump about potentially holding the convention in his state, the governor told “Fox & Friends” on Thursday, “The shape of the epidemic is just simply going to be different. Hopefully, it’s a lot better, but I think we’ll be able to make those decisions about what precautions need to be taken as you get closer.”
He continued, “But to just rule out a convention at this stage, I think, is a mistake. So we’ve said we want to get to ‘yes’ on it, and I think you’ll be able to do it.”
Watch DeSantis’ interview below:
He also laid out that there a few precautions that could be taken if hosting the convention, including testing people for the coronavirus.
DeSantis said that, in his view on the pandemic, “We understand that there’s a virus. What can we do to be able to have activity in a way that’s safe?”
“To just say no to everything, I don’t think is going to work,” he added. “So we want to be able to do it, and I think we could do it in a safe way.”
DeSantis’ remark come after North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) would not allow the use of the arena in Charlotte without coronavirus restrictions.
The governor tweeted on Tuesday, “It’s unfortunate they never agreed to scale down and make changes to keep people safe.”
We have been committed to a safe RNC convention in North Carolina and it’s unfortunate they never agreed to scale down and make changes to keep people safe. Protecting public health and safety during this pandemic is a priority.
— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) June 3, 2020
“[W]e are now forced to seek another State to host the 2020 Republican National Convention,” Trump tweeted on Tuesday evening.
Had long planned to have the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, a place I love. Now, @NC_Governor Roy Cooper and his representatives refuse to guarantee that we can have use of the Spectrum Arena – Spend millions of dollars, have everybody arrive, and…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2020
…millions of dollars, and jobs, for the State. Because of @NC_Governor, we are now forced to seek another State to host the 2020 Republican National Convention.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2020
The RNC said in a statement, “The celebration of the president’s acceptance of the Republican nomination will be held in another city.” It added that if the governor would allow more people to gather at the convention, “we still hope to conduct the official business of the convention in Charlotte.”
In seeking another location, RNC is exploring other cities such as Nashville, Tenn., and Jacksonville, Fla., among others, according to Politico.