Trump cancels convention in Jacksonville, amid coronavirus spike in Florida

President Trump on Thursday cancelled the presidential nominating convention in Jacksonville, Florida, next month, as a result of a spike in coronavirus cases in the state.  

He said the first part of the convention, in North Carolina, will go on as planned. 

"I looked at my team, and I said, 'The timing of this event is just not right. It's just not right with what's happened recently, the flareup in Florida," Trump said at the White House. "To have a big convention, it's not the right time."

Trump said the Republican delegates would gather in Charlotte, N.C. to conduct the nomination and that he would likely have a virtual acceptance speech.

"It's really something that for me, I have to protect the American people," Trump said. "That's what I've always done. That's what I will do. That's what I'm about."

Trump said when the Jacksonville site was chosen, the coronavirus was not flaring up in Florida, but the Sunshine State later saw a spike in COVID-19 cases.

"We didn't want to take any chances," Trump said. "It could be nothing like our last convention unfortunately. That was a great convention, and a great place as you know, we had a great time, great time in Cleveland. But it's a different world, and it will be for a little while."