White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has confirmed the Republican National Committee (RNC) will be holding its upcoming convention in Jacksonville, Florida amid the coronavirus pandemic.
During a White House press briefing a reporter asked McEnany if there was any discussion about scaling back the Jacksonville convention.
McEnany verified the convention will be held as scheduled.
“No, we’re still moving forward with Jacksonville, it will be a safe event, it will be a good event, and it will be up to the RNC as to how those details are hashed out,” McEnany said.
Check out her comments below:
McEnany’s comments come just days after a top Trump administration health official said on Sunday it was not clear if it will be safe to move forward with the convention, as IJR previously reported.
Stephen Hahn, the Food and Drug Administration commissioner was asked if it would be safe to hold the gathering.
“I think it’s too early to tell. We will have to see how this unfolds in Florida and elsewhere around the country,” Hahn said.
Jacksonville, Florida, Mayor Lenny Curry (R) told reporters in June safety is a priority and insisted protocols will be enforced, as IJR previously reported.
Florida has seen a spike in the number of coronavirus cases, becoming the new epicenter of the outbreak.
As of Wednesday evening, there are nearly 224,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in Florida alone and close to 4,000 deaths.
During President Donald Trump’s appearance on “Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren,” he said the upcoming convention could be downsized.
According to Trump, “It really depends on the timing.”
The convention will be held from August 24-27.
The coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the nation.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert and member of the White House coronavirus task force, called the pandemic “a serious situation that we have to address immediately.”