Biden Won’t Go To Milwaukee To Accept Nomination, Reports Say

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 27: US Vice President Joe Biden arrives on stage to deliver remarks on the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center, July 27, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton received the number of votes needed to secure the party's nomination. An estimated 50,000 people are expected in Philadelphia, including hundreds of protesters and members of the media. The four-day Democratic National Convention kicked off July 25. (Photo by

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will not go to Milwaukee for the Democratic National Convention to accept his party’s presidential nomination because of fears over COVID-19, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.
“That’s according to a Democrat with knowledge of the decision who spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity to discuss planning,” the AP wrote. “The move is the latest example of the pandemic’s sweeping effects on the 2020 presidential election and the latest blow to traditional party nominating conventions that historically have marked the start of fall general election campaigns.”Bloomberg News reporter Tyler Page also wrote Wednesday on Twitter that Biden’s plans “have been scrapped because of coronavirus concerns.”DNC organizers said in a statement on Wednesday that the “worsening coronavirus pandemic” has prompted convention officials to cancel the event’s speaking engagements “in order to prevent risking the health of our host community as well as the convention’s production teams, security officials, community partners, media and others necessary to orchestrate the event.”
The DNC had already implemented strict protocols at its convention, including daily testing of attendees and online options for state delegations.
Biden has severely curtailed his campaigning throughout the pandemic, doing many of his appearances from the basement of his house in Wilmington, Delaware.Late last month, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said the convention would still take place in Milwaukee, but the event will be scaled down because of fears over COVID-19.
“We are putting nobody in harm’s way,” Perez said. “Safety is job one for us in this convention and that’s why it will be considerably smaller, but it will be no less exciting — not less inspiring because frankly, this is still the most important election of our lifetime.”
“We are anchored in Milwaukee and we will have exciting programming in Milwaukee. The vice president will accept the nomination from Milwaukee,” Perez said, according to Politico. Perez also said that the convention will be nearly entirely virtual and “have a lot less people at it” than previous years.The Democratic convention will be held Aug. 17-20, while the Republican convention will be Aug. 24-27. But the GOP has also altered its plans.
First, the Republican National Convention was set for Charlotte, NC, but the state’s Democratic governor said the quadrennial gathering might not happen because of COVID-19. So Trump bailed on that state and announced the RNC would be held in Jacksonville, FL.
The president last week scrapped that plan as well, deciding against hosting the convention in-person as planned.
“I looked at my team and I said, ‘The timing for this event is not right.’ It’s just not right with what’s happened recently, the flair-up in Florida, to have a big convention, it’s not the right time,” Trump said. “For me, I have to protect the American people. That’s what I’ve always done, that’s what I always will do.”
Trump did say that some festivities in Jacksonville will still occur, and the official activities that go on at the convention will still happen for select delegates – and Trump still plans to make a splash.

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