Republicans Move to Restrict Attendance at Jacksonville Convention Over Coronavirus Concerns

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The Republican National Committee is moving to restrict attendance at its convention in Jacksonville, Fla. next month, RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said in a letter to delegates this week.

McDaniel noted the RNC had moved the convention from Charlotte North Carolina to Jacksonville with the hope of pulling it off without any snafus. “When we made these changes, we had hoped to be able to plan a traditional convention celebration to which we are all accustomed,” she wrote. “However, adjustments must be made to comply with state and local health guidelines.”

She said the new guidelines will permit only the party’s 2,500 delegates to attend the first three nights of the convention at Jacksonville’s 15,000-seat VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Guests and alternates will only be permitted to attend the final night, Aug. 27, when President Donald Trump is set to speak.

Polls in June showed a plurality of Republicans — and 58 percent of Jacksonville residents — disapproved of the plan to hold the Aug. 24-27 convention. Those came before a surge in the spread of coronavirus infections around the country, especially in Florida. The  state hit a one-day record for new infections on July 11, when 15,299 new cases were confirmed.

In addition to having just months to plan a convention that is usually prepared years in advance, Republicans are doing so with a relatively new team.  Trump on Wednesday jettisoned his campaign manager, Brad Parscale, and replaced him with deputy Bill Stepien. Others involved in the planning process include White House aides Stephen Miller and Hope Hicks; former Treasury Department official Tony Sayegh; and Lara Trump, the wife of the president’s son, Eric Trump,

McDaniel wrote the convention would take place in a mix of “indoor and outdoor” venues and said organizers would “implement a variety of health protocols,” including temperature checks and coronavirus testing.

“I want to make clear that we still intend to host a fantastic convention celebration in Jacksonville,” she added. “We can gather and put on a top-notch event that celebrates the incredible accomplishments of President Trump’s administration and his re-nomination for a second term — while also doing so in a safe and responsible manner.”