RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel had a feeling that Gov. Roy Cooper was going to "hoodwink" the party, and she was right. Just 75 days out from what was supposed to be the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, Cooper informed the GOP that he would not be permitting a full-scale convention in the city because, according to the governor, they can't risk putting citizens at risk with the coronavirus still being a public health issue.
Radio host Hugh Hewitt called the governor a "dope" on Wednesday for his decision, and McDaniel didn't hold back either. There's no doubt in her mind that if she was representing the DNC, Cooper would have moved heaven on Earth to let the Democrats hold their convention.
"He made a decision politically to not help us," McDaniel charged. "And I know that if I were the DNC, it would have been a different decision. So shame on him, because he put politics over the people of his state and revenues coming into his state. And he’s breaking a contract with us, especially when you see him out with large crowds during these protests this last weekend. Obviously, he’s not that concerned about a convention coming to town if he’s willing to be with large groups of people without a mask himself. So it’s sad. We’re moving forward. We’re going to do the business in Charlotte. We love Charlotte. The business community’s been great. The mayor’s been great. But we can’t have our celebration there, and we’re going to move to a new city."
McDaniel noted that while Cooper may be trying to derail Republicans' plans, he is only hurting his state. The convention had the potential to bring in $200 million in revenue to Charlotte.
McDaniel revealed that she "hasn't slept in two weeks" in preparation for the convention. And that pace will apparently continue for the next 75 days.
As for which city they're now considering for their RNC celebration, originally planned for August 24-27, McDaniel noted that Jacksonville, FL is a frontrunner. Other contenders are Nashville, Savannah, and Phoenix.