WASHINGTON _ They say they love the city. They generally praise the cooperation of local officials. And despite the threat to move it, many members of the Republican National Committee think their late summer convention will ultimately stay in Charlotte.
But as the standoff between President Donald Trump and North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper reaches its boiling point, leading members of the GOP's governing body are growing increasingly vocal about their desire to hold a convention where officials allow them to implement safety restrictions as they see fit, despite the danger of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
In a roughly a dozen interviews, RNC members preparing to attend the convention expressed concern over Cooper's handling of the situation and bristled at the notion that mask-wearing should be made mandatory _ even while inside the convention arena. Some went so far as to suggest the event could be held without any additional safety precautions, if the spread of COVID-19 has lessened by the summer.
