CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Republican National Convention is just a little more than 100 days away with no signs of being canceled despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The RNC recently announced they've hired a doctor, who they say will oversee plans to ensure the health and safety of everyone who walks through the doors of Spectrum Center. The convention is scheduled to take place from August 24-27.
Speaking on Charlotte's WBT radio Wednesday morning, President Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, said it's full steam ahead for the RNC.
"Listen, we're still planning on having it," Trump told former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory. "It's still going to go forward, we're trying to plan an epic, epic convention.You probably know, I worked really hard to make sure it was in my home state, I was really excited when we got that solidified."
The RNC is expected to bring an estimated 50,000 visitors to Charlotte, leaving some city leaders wondering how they can host the event safely.
“It’s international and national media outlets, its potentially protesters, it’s people that want to be part of the decision making every four years that a political party goes through, so you could have special interest groups, lobbyists coming in,” says Dr. Michael Bitzer, Professor of Politics at Catawba College.
Some argue it's too soon to make any big decisions. During an exclusive interview with WCNC Charlotte, Dr. Anthony Fauci said any decision made by the RNC won't come down to whether there are still cases, but rather how well they're contained.
"By the time we get to summer, I don't think there will be zero cases around," Dr. Fauci said.
On Tuesday, the Democratic National Convention announced their rules committee voted to allow virtual voting as talks of taking their convention totally virtual continue to arise.
So what would a virtual national convention look like?
“They are preparing for the worst in terms of the basic function that a political convention does,” says Dr. Bitzer, referring to the most important aspect of every convention; selecting the party’s nominee for president.
The DNC has not made any official determinations, but in an interview over Snapchat, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was asked if the DNC would still go on.
He answered by saying, “I hope we can, it may have to be smaller, maybe a different venue, I don’t know,” he said, “I think we have to follow the science, we’ve got to follow the rules, we’ve got to follow what the experts tell us.”
If either party decides to go virtual, Dr. Bitzer says he believes they’ll be unlike the ones we know today, and will lack crowds, music and energy.
"What I think you will see is, perhaps, a few people in key slots, like a keynote speaker, like the vice presidential candidates, like the presidential candidates," said Dr. Michael Bitzer, a political science professor at Catawba College.
Neither the RNC nor DNC have announced any official itineraries for this summer's conventions.