NBC News: “After years of planning and fundraising for the Charlotte event, the convention was moved to Jacksonville, Florida, when North Carolina’s Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper couldn’t guarantee the president a multi-day event without social distancing or face masks. After packaging the change in location as a partisan swipe at the state’s refusal to allow for a full-fledged and in-person event, Trump then altered his explanation to that of a public safety consideration last week by cancelling the portions in Florida, where the pandemic has surged in recent weeks.”
“But in Charlotte, the ripple effects continue. The call, at the urging of the president, to uproot rigorous planning and financial investments in the city has left businesses in a crunch and spurred concern among party leaders in a state that is crucial for Trump’s re-election.”
“The decision to scrap the major in-person portion of the convention is also costing GOP donors millions of dollars on top of the economic strain being felt by businesses that were holding on amid the pandemic for the kind of boost a national political convention — and all the delegates, media and operatives — can bring to a city.”