President Donald Trump has canceled the in-person part of Republican National Convention, which had been scheduled for Jacksonville, Fla., next month.
Media outlets had already arranged for their technical coverage coordination with the FCC.
He made the announcement at his renewed daily coronavirus briefing Thursday (July 23).
The President said there would be some kind of online convention and "telerallies," but that they needed to set an example of not getting everyone together in a large venue.
He said he would still do a convention speech, "in some form," but that it was just not the time for "a big, crowded, convention."
The convention had been moved from Charlotte, N.C., to Florida in part because of COVID-19-related restrictions there, but Florida's cases have flared up and the President said he recognized that and "had to protect the American people."
Trump said he also did not want to give the media a reason to criticize him if the convention went ahead, though he said that was not the reason for canceling the in-person convention.
