'Gotta Mow Lawn' And Other Lies Why Republicans Won't Attend Cleveland Convention

With the Republican National Convention a week away, the list of prominent Republicans choosing not to attend is growing, and while some reasons explaining their absences appear rather bland and at least one Republican has a serious injury, other excuses are slightly more flippant.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is set to take the stage in Cleveland where he will officially accept the party's nomination. The four-day event begins July 18, and Trump will accept the nomination July 21.

Here's a list of Republicans not attending the convention and the reasons explaining their absence:

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake: The first meeting between Flake and Trump was rather icy, as reported by the Washington Post. Flake has been unwilling to support Trump and made it clear when the presumptive nominee visited Capitol Hill last Thursday.

When Flake stood up and introduced himself, Trump told him, “You’ve been very critical of me.”

“Yes, I’m the other senator from Arizona — the one who didn’t get captured — and I want to talk to you about statements like that,” Flake responded, according to two Republican officials.

Flake was referring to Trump's comments saying Arizona Sen. John McCain was not a war hero because he was captured.

Associated Press reporter Erica Werner reported that when asked whether Flake would attend the convention, he said, "no, I've got to mow my lawn."

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse: A spokesman for the senator said he would "take his kids to watch some dumpster fires across the state, all of which enjoy more popularity than the current front-runners,” The Hill reported.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: While on vacation in Wyoming, Abbott reportedly suffered second- and third-degree burns to his legs in a water scalding incident. Despite his injuries, the governor cut short his attendance to go to Dallas to support the city's law enforcement after a deadly shooting rampage that left five officers dead. A spokesman for Abbott said he is expected to make a full recovery, but he might not be well enough to attend the convention. The injury is made more serious given that the governor is wheelchair-bound. Unlike other Republican, Abbott's reason to miss the convention is serious.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich: The former contender for the nomination dropped out of the race in May and will be in Cleveland but he won't necessarily attend the convention. Kasich will arrive in Cleveland on Sunday, the day before the convention begins, and will leave Thursday before Trump accepts the nomination. It is also unlikely that Kasich, who has not endorsed Trump, will speak at Quicken Loans Arena.

“He will be in Cleveland doing events around the convention, but not necessarily inside the building,” spokesman Chris Schrimpf told the Dayton Daily News, who said a decision about attending would be by Kasich’s own choice.

Both Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Arizona Sen. John McCain have said they will not be attending because they intend on focusing on their reelection campaigns. Rubio said he had planned on attending the convention before he decided to seek reelection but will now focus on meeting with voters in Florida instead.

Former Massachusetts Governor and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who has been increasingly critical of Trump, will not attend the convention. Neither will former presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush, however they did not attend the convention in 2012 either.

Jeb Bush, who was once considered the leading Republican candidate in this year's race, will also not attend the convention.

Still, there are enough Republicans who will be in attendance at the event. A survey by The Hill found 32 Senate Republicans plan to attend, 15 have said they will skip and six remain undecided.

Image Credit: PBS News Hour via Flickr Creative Commons