Trump threatens to pull GOP convention from Charlotte over NC governor's virus restrictions

In a rapid-fire set of tweets, President Trump on Monday threatened to pull the Republican National Committee's nominating convention from Charlotte if North Carolina's Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper doesn't commit to easing virus restrictions by the August event.

"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." 

Trump said Republicans making plans to go to Charlotte for the convention "must be immediately given an answer by the Governor as to whether or not the space will be allowed to be fully occupied. If not, we will be reluctantly forced to find, with all of the jobs and economic development it brings, another Republican National Convention site."

The GOP convention is slated for Aug. 24-27 in Charlotte, a week after the Democratic National Convention planned for Milwaukee. Both parties have been debating how to stage the events in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cooper has faced the ire of Trump before.

Earlier this month in an interview with the Washington Examiner, the president accused Cooper of "playing politics" with his state's slow effort to end virus restrictions. 

"It's got a Democrat governor, so we have to be a little bit careful with that, because they're playing politics. They're playing politics, as you know, by delaying the openings," Trump said. "To me that's politics. They think it's a bad thing for me if they delay the opening. I think it's bad for them. And you have people protesting outside, and those people like Trump."

The governor's office responded by saying the state was simply following the White House pandemic advice. 

"As the Governor said, pandemics cannot be political,” Cooper spokeswoman Sadie Weiner responded. “North Carolina is using the data and the science based on White House guidance to inform our three-phased approach to lifting restrictions. The health and safety of North Carolinians is the top priority as we battle COVID-19.”