Republicans move convention to Florida after Trump’s coronavirus row with North Carolina

President bristled at idea of holding convention in an arena half-filled with people wearing masks

After a long row with the governor of North Carolina over social distancing rules, Donald Trump has officially moved this summer’s Republican convention to Jacksonville, Florida.

The switch reflects Mr Trump’s desire to have a packed arena with a mask-free crowd — something North Carolina’s Roy Cooper said could not be guaranteed given the state’s measures to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Mr Trump expressed his disappointment in Mr Cooper at a press conference earlier this week, describing him as “a little backward” and “a little bit behind” on lifting the state’s lockdown.

“We wanted to stay in North Carolina very badly, we love it, it’s a great state, a state I won, many many friends, many relatives, frankly, that live there.”

Florida, by contrast, was one of the first states to begin reopening its economy, against the advice of many public health experts but with the president’s blessing. At first, the signs were that reopening had not resulted in a higher number of coronavirus cases, but the state this week reported its highest one-day spike in cases since the outbreak began.

Republican spokesperson Ronna McDaniel issued a statement celebrating the move south, saying the party was “thrilled” that Jacksonville would be the new venue.

“Not only does Florida hold a special place in President Trump’s heart as his home state, but it is crucial in the path to victory in 2020. We look forward to bringing this great celebration and economic boon to the Sunshine State in just a few short months.”

Florida is certainly crucial to the president’s re-election. It was a clutch of ultra-close wins in the rust belt and Midwest that sealed his victory in 2016, and current polls show him slipping behind Joe Biden in those states. Without Florida, the path to victory will be narrow indeed.

However, North Carolina is arguably just as worrying for the president; it voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and only narrowly broke for the Republicans in 2012 and 2016. Losing its 15 electoral votes would be a big liability for Mr Trump in an election where he’s considered unlikely to pick up states he didn’t win first time around.