GOP Governors Offer To Roll Out Welcome Mat For Republican Convention If Trump Moves It

The New York Times: In Audacious Move, Georgia And Florida Governors Offer To Host G.O.P. Convention
The governors of Georgia and Florida, seizing on a tweet from President Trump, made an audacious move on Tuesday, offering their states’ hosting services for the Republican National Convention, which the party is contractually obligated to hold in Charlotte, N.C. That contract was signed nearly two years ago, and moving a 50,000-person, multimillion-dollar event less than three months before it happens would be extraordinary. But Mr. Trump — in contrast to the host committee that is coordinating the event — threatened on Monday to move the convention unless Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina provided a “guarantee” that there would be no coronavirus-related restrictions on the size of the event. (Astor, 5/26)

The Associated Press: GOP Govs Offer States As Alternative RNC Convention Host
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp sent an open plea to Trump on Tuesday to consider his state as an alternate site for the quadrennial convention, which is set to gather more than 2,500 delegates and thousands more guests, press and security officials. Plans have been underway for more than a year to hold the convention in Charlotte, but Trump and national Republican officials have expressed concerns that local officials may not allow gatherings of that size during the pandemic. (Miller and Nadler, 5/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Florida Pushes To Host Republican Convention
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is close to the president, told reporters Tuesday that his office has been in touch with the White House and would welcome the gathering, extolling a “huge economic impact.” He named a number of cities, including Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville, that could handle a convention. “The door is open,” Mr. DeSantis said. “We want to have the conversation.” (Leary and McCormick, 5/26)

Reuters: Trump Issues North Carolina An Ultimatum On Republican Convention
Trump set the deadline for Governor Roy Cooper after Republicans in Florida, Georgia and Texas offered to host their party’s four-day nominating convention, which is scheduled to open in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Aug. 24. “We’re not going to sacrifice the health and safety of North Carolinians,” Cooper said, citing the coronavirus pandemic. He said state officials would work with Republican organizers to ensure everyone’s safety. (Martina, 5/26)

The Washington Post: Trump Wants To Know ‘Within A Week’ Whether North Carolina Can Hold August Convention Amid Pandemic
“We have a governor that doesn’t want to open up the state and we have a date of . . . the end of August,” Trump told reporters at the White House, a day after tweeting his threat to pull the convention. “And we have to know before we spend millions and millions of dollars on an arena to make it magnificent for the convention. . . . If the governor can’t tell us very soon, unfortunately, we’ll have no choice.” (Linskey, 5/26)

NPR: Trump's Threat To Move Convention Causes Overnight Scramble
Cooper has said North Carolina is guided by public health and nothing else and is waiting for the RNC to provide a plan laying out how it would safely hold its convention. "I'm not surprised by anything that I see on Twitter," Cooper said on Tuesday about the president's comments. "I will say that it's OK for political conventions to be political, but pandemic response cannot be." (Keith and Moore, 5/26)

Politico: North Carolina Throws Convention Threat Back At Trump And GOP
Nothing was decided, and one senior Republican called the situation “a mess.” Indeed, the twin developments in North Carolina and Washington signal a difficult stretch for the GOP as it tries to navigate Trump's insistence on a full-blown convention with public health concerns on the ground. Cohen, Kelly and Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper discussed the convention during a Friday conference call, according to the letter — a positive sign for proponents of keeping the convention in North Carolina. But the two sides aren't close to agreement on what modifications might be needed because of the coronavirus. (King, 5/26)

The Hill: NC Governor Faces GOP Convention Dilemma Amid Pandemic 
North Carolina has entered the safer-at-home phase of Cooper's plan, which allows previously shuttered businesses such as restaurants and barbershops to operate at 50 percent capacity. Gatherings are limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people are allowed for outdoor events. Cooper was again pressured on Tuesday, this time by RNC chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel, who claimed “a lot of states” had offered to host the convention — scheduled for Aug. 24-27 at Charlotte's Spectrum Center — following the president's tweets. (Johnson, 5/26)

The Associated Press: Trump Committed To July 4 Celebration Despite Lawmaker Alarm
The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump remains committed to holding a Fourth of July celebration in the nation’s capital even as Democratic lawmakers from the region -- one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus -- warn that the area will not be ready to hold a major event. White House spokesman Judd Deere reiterated that Trump wants to hold an Independence Day celebration after members of Congress wrote on Tuesday to Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to raise their concerns about the safety of such an event. (Madhani and Khalil, 5/27)

Politico: D.C.-Area Lawmakers Warn White House Against July 4th Celebration Amid Pandemic
Democrats representing the Washington, D.C., area are warning the Trump administration against holding another July Fourth celebration on the National Mall as the region battles the spread of the coronavirus. Ten Democrats from the District, Maryland and Virginia wrote Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt Tuesday, urging the administration to "immediately suspend any plans" for a second July Fourth event, known as the "Salute to America." (O'Brien, 5/26)