House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday slammed President Donald Trump's insistence that the Republican National Convention occur as planned despite the pandemic, and suggested neither party had any business holding its massive quadrennial gathering given the risks to public health.
"I don't think there's anyone who would say at this point that tens of thousands of people should come together for a political convention, no matter how great an ego trip it is for somebody,” Pelosi, D-Calif., said during a news conference with other Democratic House leaders.
Her comments came just days after Trump threatened to move the Republican convention from Charlotte, North Carolina, if there is a chance the venue there might not be filled because of coronavirus-related restrictions.
The GOP convention is currently scheduled for Aug. 24-27 in a state that recently reported its highest number of new cases in a single day. North Carolina entered the second phase of its reopening last week, but gatherings of groups over 10 people indoors, and 25 people outdoors, are still prohibited.
After Trump threatened to move the RNC, several other states, including Georgia and Florida, offered themselves as alternatives.
As recently as last week, the Republican National Committee said it was planning for an event that would gather 50,000 people, despite warnings from health officials about the risks of mass gatherings. While that is their public posture, NBC News last month was the first to report details on what Republican officials and those close to the president have been saying privately: that alterations were possible, and a backup plan and contingencies would be needed to host a massive gathering amid the coronavirus crisis.
The Democratic National Committee has already pushed back its convention in Milwaukee from mid-July to mid-August. The committee has left open the possibility that parts will be held virtually, although officials say they expect a portion will be held in-person.
