Threatening governors has become a passtime for Trump

President Donald Trump has threatened to scrap plans to hold the upcoming Republican National Convention in North Carolina and move the event elsewhere if the state's governor does not agree to allow "full attendance" at the August event.

Currently, under North Carolina's coronavirus response measures, gatherings of more than 10 people in indoor settings are not permitted under "most circumstances," while outdoor gatherings are limited to a maximum of 25 people.

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Trump said that if North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, could not commit to the allowance, the RNC would be reluctantly forced to move the convention and "all of the jobs and economic development it brings" to another state.

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[F]ew states wanted to host the event in the first place.

An article published by New York Magazine's Intelligencer blog laid out the GOP's struggle with the headline: "GOP Awards Its 2020 Convention to the Only City That Sorta Kinda Wanted It."

At the time, Charlotte, which had previously hosted the 2012 Democratic National Convention, had been the only city to publicly pursue the convention, while other cities, including Philadelphia, San Antonio and Nashville, backed away from the potential bid.

  Newsweek

Probably didn't think they'd get paid.

On Friday, North Carolina entered "Phase 2" of its plans to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic, with restaurants and some businesses allowed to open, with enforced limitations on capacity.

Phase 2 is expected to be in place until at least June 26. That is when officials are expected to make a decision on whether to extend it or relax the rules.

The money to pay for the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., is mostly raised, and contracts with hotels and local vendors are signed. The delegates are set to easily anoint a party nominee who fought tooth and nail for the title four years ago.

But instead of preparing to celebrate President Trump, White House and Republican officials are now quietly looking at the likelihood of a pared-down convention, with the coronavirus appearing increasingly likely to still pose a serious threat in late summer.

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On Monday, the Republican National Committee sent its donors the official invitation to the convention, which stated that the event was proceeding apace and would be held from Aug. 24-27.

But behind the scenes, Republicans are looking at possible contingency plans, including limiting the number of people who descend on Charlotte to only delegates, and making alternate delegates stay home.

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[Trump] has mused aloud to several aides about why the convention can’t simply be held in a hotel ballroom in Florida, given all of the health concerns and the fact that Florida is further along in reopening portions of the state.

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On a call with reporters on Monday, Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Convention, said that a virtual convention — something the Democrats are discussing — wasn’t an option for the Republicans. R.N.C. officials cited party rules about an in-person convention that were set in 2016, which stated that “Republicans cannot change the rules until after the convention convenes,” meaning there must be an in-person convention this time.

  NYT

Really? What if there were a terrorist attack on the venue? Could they not change it then?

But Ms. McDaniel appeared to leave open the possibility that the convention’s format and time frame could shift despite the printed invitations. “It’s quite a ways away, and there’s ample time for us to adjust, if necessary,” she said.

Especially if Trump has a bug up his ass about where to hold it.

Local politicians in North Carolina, including Republicans, have expressed skepticism that the convention will be able to go forward as planned.

In an interview with MSNBC on Sunday, Mayor Vi Lyles of Charlotte hinted that there could be changes to an agreement that the city entered two years ago to host the convention, given the current circumstances.

“We’ve got vulnerable populations,” Ms. Lyles said, referring to people who are especially susceptible to the coronavirus. She followed that up with a tweet on Tuesday saying, “My #1 priority is the health and safety of Charlotteans and any decision or adaptions must be made in their interest and based in science and facts.”

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Mr. Trump has made clear that he will fault Democrats if changes are made.

Of course! As anyone would!

“I’m a traditionalist, but we’ll have to see, like everything else, but I think we’ll be in good shape by that time,” Mr. Trump told an interviewer with The Washington Examiner during a visit to Pennsylvania last week. “We have a great state, North Carolina, that’s been very, very good.”

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"It’s got a Democrat governor, so we have to be a little bit careful with that, because they’re playing politics. They’re playing politics, as you know, by delaying the openings.”

I wonder.