Cities across the country are saying no to the Republican National Committee’s requests to host the 2020 GOP convention, during which President Donald Trump, as it stands now, will receive the party’s nomination to run for re-election.
Not only are many cities saying no, some that had expressed interest are pulling out.
“The cities that have rejected hosting duties insist Trump and today’s divisive politics are not factors in their decisions. They instead cite high security costs and disruptions in the normal flow of business and traffic,” The Hill reports. “But Trump is almost certainly a factor in some cities’ decisions to opt out.”
Only Charlotte, North Carolina, has been working publicly to be awarded the contract to host the RNC convention. Charlotte has a Democratic mayor.
“Most of the cities that have turned down the RNC are Democratic cities,” Republican strategist Evan Siegfried told The Hill. “Their leaders do not want to suffer blowback with their residents for hosting Trump and neither do they want to have local business owners angry because protestors smashed their store windows.”
Among the cities that have refused: Las Vegas, San Antonio, Cleveland, Nashville, and Philadelphia.
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Hat tip: Joe.My.God.