Jacksonville to host Republican National Convention keynote events

While the Republican National Convention will still hold official business meetings in Charlotte, North Carolina, this August, President Trump will accept the GOP nomination in Jacksonville, Florida.

All of the RNC's keynote events will take place in Jacksonville, over the course of several nights, a person familiar with the planning told Politico. The mayor of Jacksonville, Lenny Curry, is a former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, and had been pushing hard for the events to move to his city.

Earlier this month, Trump said he would move the convention out of North Carolina, after Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said because of the coronavirus pandemic, he could not guarantee that the convention would be at full capacity. Cooper told CNN this had nothing to do with politics, but was "based on health experts, data, and science, and that's it for everybody to see."

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Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement Thursday night that the RNC is "thrilled to celebrate this momentous occasion in the great city of Jacksonville. Not only does Florida hold a special place in President Trump's heart as his home state, but it is crucial in the path to victory in 2020." Trump, a lifelong New Yorker, declared himself a resident of Florida last October.