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.
Ginger Howard, a member of the convention's committee on arrangements, said Cooper ought to "let us use our common sense" to have a full convention as planned, where "all the delegates are there, all the alternates are there, like we always have."
"I'm just really hoping that the governor will trust us. We are adults, we are not going to make unwise decisions. We are not going to be foolish," said Howard, the RNC committeewoman from Georgia. "We're going to be very wise, but we want our convention, and we want it in Charlotte."
RNC members are quick to concede that the decision on whether to move the convention to a different city is Trump's alone _ no matter the logistical difficulty such a move would impose _ and they are awaiting the result of his back-and-forth with Cooper.
"The idea of moving it would be very, very difficult since we've had staff on the ground for a year there making plans and doing the groundwork for security and housing contracts with the hotels and the venues," said Carolyn McLarty, an RNC member from Oklahoma. "It'd be really hard to move to a different city at this point."
"But if anyone could do it, Trump could do it," she continued. "Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes."
Trump first made the threat Monday to relocate the convention if Cooper didn't guarantee it could be held in August in the way the president and top GOP officials see fit, regardless of the pandemic's severity in the state. That led to a weeklong standoff between the two sides, with Trump later setting a deadline of next week for the parties to reach an agreement.
RNC officials sent a letter to Cooper on Thursday outlining the measures they planned to take to keep attendees safe, including thermal scans, but notably left out any mention of requiring guests to wear masks or abide by social distancing guidelines. The event is scheduled to take place Aug. 24-27, primarily inside the Spectrum Center, which can hold up to 20,000 people.
Cooper's administration responded a day later with a more detailed list of questions for the RNC, asking "what additional precautions" it would take.
Mask requirements have become a culture war flashpoint for some Republicans, including Trump, even as polls show an overwhelming majority of Americans support wearing them. Public health officials, including those in the Trump administration, say it's an important way to curb the spread of the virus.
Several RNC members said this week that some decisions, such as wearing a mask, should be up to individual convention attendees to make for themselves. Others said they wouldn't disobey local ordinances mandating they wear a mask while in public, but indicated they thought that such a step might not be necessary by then.
"If it's required that I wear a mask, I will wear a mask," said Jay Shepard, a committeeman from Vermont. "Do I think it will be necessary in August for everyone to wear a mask? I don't believe so."
Shepard said he doubts that the event will ultimately look much different than previous versions. Those delegates who attend will understand the risks, he said, and will stay home if they think it puts them in too much danger.
"We shouldn't be looking at what happens in March and project that into August without looking at the hospitalization rates and tracing and all of those kinds of things," Shepard said. "We all have to be open to changes that take place and have precautions in place if necessary, but I don't know what those will be at this point."
Helen Van Etten, the committeewoman from Kansas, said that vulnerable attendees should wear masks and everyone who attends the event should practice good hygiene. Those types of measures can be negotiated, she said.
But she said she did not favor a scenario in which the RNC requires masks or cuts down on the number of people who are allowed to watch Trump accept the GOP nomination in person, in order to create six feet of distance between attendees.
"The delegate experience is so critical for people to feel that excitement and feel good about this election," Van Etten said of the more dramatic measures that are under discussion. "It's like a big family coming together."
Several RNC members said that limiting seating in the arena had been under discussion. But the proposal received mixed reviews and was not included in the RNC's letter to Cooper.
The special circumstances of coronavirus require "some adaptation," Van Etten and other members on the party's arrangements committee acknowledged.
"Nobody is saying that the convention is going to go on as if there were no coronavirus," said California committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon. "That has never been the premise since March, since the first hint of shutdowns began, or the level of seriousness. We've been talking about it for three months now."
Dhillon said she expected temperature checks and other safety precautions at the convention. She estimated that elderly or immunocompromised members who may not attend make up about 5% of the party's delegates.
"People assume that safety measures will be taken there, and everybody is comfortable with that," she said. "And if anybody's not comfortable with that, of course can choose not to attend. We have an alternate system for that reason."
All 13 RNC members who spoke to McClatchy this week indicated that they planned to attend the convention. Many RNC members said they were prepared to take extra precautions, especially inside the arena, whether their actions were mandated or not.
"I'm probably not going to be shaking as many hands," said Shane Goettle, a committeeman from North Dakota. "I think we're all sort of trained over the last few months to respect social distance, to respect those who wish to wear masks or don't, and to play it safe to reduce transmissions. And I think we can do that."
Peter Goldberg, a committeeman from Alaska, said that although he is not concerned about his safety, he is still likely to wear a face covering.
"I would probably wear a mask too, because I can't know everyone around me, and I am in the older age group," said Goldberg, 71. "I think the thing has to happen somehow. I know the arena. It would be full in there. Quite full. And I think if someone is really concerned, they just won't go.
Not only would it be logistically and financially challenging to move a convention that's been in the works for two years, RNC members were also not keen on abandoning their plans to hold the mass gathering in North Carolina, a swing state where local businesses, restaurants and hotel chains are counting on the influx of tourists to get back on their feet after the coronavirus.
Cooper has not offered the kinds of assurances that GOP leaders said they would need to hear to move forward with their travel plans, though, and they urged the governor to give convention planners more leeway to determine what health and safety measures are appropriate.
"How does it make the state of North Carolina look if the governor says 'We're not going to do that?' It makes the state look bad but it also puts a bad light on the Democrats," Ada Fisher, the committeewoman for North Carolina, said of the dispute.
