Georgia Governor Steps Up with Offer To Replace North Carolina as GOP Convention Site

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp offered to host the Republican National Convention if President Donald Trump decides to pull the event from North Carolina.

“With world-class facilities, restaurants, hotels, and workforce, Georgia would be honored to safely host the Republican National Convention. We hope you will consider the Peach State, @realdonaldtrump!” the Republican governor tweeted Tuesday.

The Republican National Convention is scheduled for Aug. 24-27 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

However, in a series of tweets Monday, Trump said that North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, is in a “Shutdown mood,” and he might need to move the convention in order to guarantee that full attendance would be allowed.

“I love the Great State of North Carolina, so much so that I insisted on having the Republican National Convention in Charlotte at the end of August. Unfortunately, Democrat Governor, @RoyCooperNC is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed full attendance in the Arena,” Trump tweeted.

“In other words, we would be spending millions of dollars building the Arena to a very high standard without even knowing if the Democrat Governor would allow the Republican Party to fully occupy the space.

“Plans are being made by many thousands of enthusiastic Republicans, and others, to head to beautiful North Carolina in August.”

“They must be immediately given an answer by the Governor as to whether or not the space will be allowed to be fully occupied,” Trump tweeted.

“If not, we will be reluctantly forced to find, with all of the jobs and economic development it brings, another Republican National Convention site. This is not something I want to do. Thank you, and I LOVE the people of North Carolina!”

Vice President Mike Pence echoed Trump’s message during a Monday appearance on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.”

“It’s an issue we’ve been talking about, because these national conventions literally take many months to organize and prepare,” Pence said.

“What you hear the president saying today is just a very reasonable request of the governor of North Carolina. We all want to be in Charlotte. We love North Carolina.”

Pence said the White House looks forward to hearing from Cooper “and if needs be, moving the national convention to a state that is farther along on reopening and can say with confidence that we can gather there.”

Last Wednesday, Cooper said North Carolina could enter Phase Two of his three-step reopening plan, according to The News & Observer.

Phase Two relaxes restrictions and allows some businesses to open as long as they remain at 50 percent capacity.

Phil Berger, a Republican in the North Carolina state Senate, said it was about time Cooper acted.

“I’m glad the Governor has responded to the calls of senators, small business owners, and unemployed workers to let them get back to work,” Berger said in a statement.

“When I asked Gov. Cooper to reopen restaurants and personal care services last week, the Governor said it wasn’t safe to do so.”

“But according to data for yesterday, when the Governor began notifying people of his decision, North Carolina had more cases, more hospitalizations, and fewer tests performed than when I issued my call last week,” he said.

“It seems strange that it was unsafe to reopen last week, but it’s safe to reopen now with worse numbers. This gets back to the central question of what strategy is driving the Governor’s actions. What goal does he think is achievable?”