North Carolina Gov. tells RNC it is 'very unlikely' his state will be able to host full convention

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper told the Republican National Committee on Tuesday that it is “very unlikely” his state will be able to host a full convention in Charlotte this summer as was previously planned, amid the continued coronavirus pandemic.

Cooper said the state wants a “safe RNC convention in Charlotte” that will remain in line with public health recommendations, which may mean scaling down the convention.

“The people of North Carolina do not know what the status of COVID-19 will be in August, so planning for a scaled down convention, with fewer people, social distancing and face coverings is a necessity,” wrote the governor in a letter to the chairwoman of the RNC and president of the convention.

“Neither public health officials nor I will risk the health and safety of North Carolinians by providing the guarantee you seek,” continued the letter.

Convention officials had previously sought a response from the governor by June 3 as to whether the state will be able to host a “full” convention, which would include 19,000 people inside the city's Spectrum Center..

RNC officials have begun to explore other sites for the 2020 nominating event, reportedly including Nashville, Tenn., Las Vegas, various locations in Florida, and Georgia. Officials will likely visit those sites this week.

“President Trump and Chairwoman (Rona) McDaniel have been clear on our desire to hold our convention in Charlotte but without concrete guidance from Gov. Cooper, planning has been difficult,” said an RNC spokesperson on Tuesday.

According to senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, no decisions have been made about the convention, but the president would like to keep it in Charlotte.