Trump To Accept Republican Nomination In Jacksonville, Florida

JACKSONVILLE, FL — President Donald Trump will accept the Republican party's nomination for president in Jacksonville this year, GOP officials said Thursday night.

The decision was made to move the event to Florida after Democratic leaders in North Carolina, where the Republican convention was originally planned, refused to meet demands for an event free of social distancing rules.

Last week, Trump announced the Republican National Convention's showcase events would likely be headed to Jacksonville and would not take place in Charlotte due to the state's coronavirus restrictions.

Prior to the cancellation, event organizers had been in negotiations with state public health officials about possible accommodations for the convention two years in the making, according to North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.

Trump, however, later insisted he wanted a full convention with 19,000 attendees with no social distancing or face covering requirements.

"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," Cooper said in a response following Trump's announcement.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, lobbied to bring the event to his city after the RNC made it clear they were open to moving it, Politico reported. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, also supported the move.

Business meetings for the convention will still likely take place in Charlotte as planned due to existing contractual obligations, The Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing two party sources.