Trump told NC Gov. he can't have empty seats at RNC & will "cancel the whole damn thing" if other

[highplainsdem]

states won't let him have the convention without any health restrictions.

WaPo report from anonymous sources about Trump's phone call with Governor Cooper last Friday:


https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-said-we-cant-do-social-distancing-at-convention-as-he-made-personal-appeal-to-north-carolina-governor/2020/06/04/9bf04f50-a5fb-11ea-bb20-ebf0921f3bbd_story.html

“Since the day I came down the escalator, I’ve never had an empty seat and I find the biggest stadiums,” he told Cooper on Friday, according to two people familiar with the call who requested anonymity to share its contents. “I don’t want to be sitting in a place that’s 50 percent empty,” Trump said.

-snip-

At one point during the call, Cooper pushed back, according to the two people familiar with the conversation. He asked Trump whether he was worried about his supporters, and the possibility that they would become sick.

“No, I’m not because we’ve learned a lot about it,” Trump said, referring to the coronavirus.

-snip-

The president said he was confident that he would be able to find a second home for the convention that would allow full attendance without restrictions such as masks and social distancing.

“I believe other states will do it,” Trump said, according to the two people familiar with the conversation. “Otherwise, we’ll cancel the whole damn thing.”

-snip-

[Moostache]

1. Oh no...anything but THAT! Cancel? Clutch the pearls...

Take your ball and get back in the bunker boy!

[tblue37]

2. Ha! We've often seen empty seats at his rallies--often whole empty sections. nt

[dalton99a]

28. Yep

[crickets]

34. No empty seats here.

[dalton99a]

35. +1. The most prolific mass murderer in U.S. history

[IggleDuer]

3. Can the attendees who are "fillers" bring their guns?

After all, Second Amendment. Our rights ...

[Zambero]

4. Since he came down the escalator....

By now there's a million ways of completing that sentence.

[highplainsdem]

9. As I recall, the people in his audience then were actors hired to wear Trump t-shirts:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-campaign-actors-announcement/

[sheshe2]

14. When he came down the escalator...

He hit the bottom.

[area51]

31. You reminded me of this cartoon.

[sheshe2]

32. I LOVE THIS!

You made my night, area51.

Thank you.

[sprinkleeninow]

36. came down the escalator, but his elevator doesn't go all the way to the top

[dhill926]

5. I wonder if he was throwing his...

rattle and sippy cup around the Oval Office during the call...

[Siwsan]

6. If he thinks he's never had any empty seats, it might be a sign he has double vision issues

and he needs an eye test, along with a long overdue brain scan.

[magicarpet]

7. Should he pout or cry or stomp his feet and hold his breath ?

Grow up you man/boy/infant brat.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. LOL!

If I can't have my big birthday party with a bouncy house and a clown and balloon animals and ponies and cake and a zillion presents I DON'T WANT A PARTY AT ALL!

[smirkymonkey]

40. President Veruca Salt

[babylonsister]

10. Lowering expectations. As he does. nt

[malaise]

11. That is a lie

He has had many empty seats

[sop]

12. "Since the day I came down the escalator to a room full of actors paid $50 each to cheer for me"

[Evergreen Emerald]

13. Exactly.

I was going to say the same thing! They are paid actors.

[Arazi]

15. He already told Cooper they're holding it elsewhere. Who cares what happens now?

Personally I hope it is totally cancelled. I fear for the workers at any arena who would be in jeopardy of catching the virus.

But the threats to Cooper are moot now. I'm sure he said sayonara and fuck off, I'm not changing my state's rules

[not_the_one]

38. He desperately needs the spectacle of being the center of attention. THAT is what it is about.

Virus be damned.

Conventions are nothing but multi night campaign ads. And sadly, many Americans can be swayed by them. Especially if there are lots of glitz and glitter, balloons, celebrities, rousing music, patriotic pablum, videos peddling blatant lies, blah blah blah...

It will be his last chance to strut and smirk. It should be cancelled for that alone.

The decades long dumbing down of the American public to the point of being totally gullible goobers has finally reached it's pinnacle.

The result? The most magnificent, stupendous, borderline illiterate, mentally deficient, TURD to have ever graced American politics. The GOP's dedication to long term planning has paid off.

[gratuitous]

16. Somebody needs his binkie and a nap

The major problem for Trump is that his standard tactics won't work in this situation. Gov. Cooper and the City of Charlotte aren't desperate to make a deal. The contracts are already signed, and Trump's tantrums aren't going to get them to bid against themselves on things that are already settled and that all sides have already agreed to.

Also, at this late date, Trump is out of time to obtain an alternate venue if he wants to put on the spectacle/show he obviously envisions. A lot of attendees have already made their plans to go to Charlotte in August. It would cost delegates a lot of money to change their plans, and while a lot of Republican delegates are wealthy, not all of them are. If the RNC kowtows to Trump's demands, they're going to have to plan on fixing things for at least some of their delegates.

Trump has no leverage here, and Gov. Cooper impresses me as being smart enough to know that.

[Ferrets are Cool]

17. Please let him have the biggest stadium in America with it completely full

Please, please, please, pretty please with sugar on top.

[struggle4progress]

18. "The Republican Convention will go viral!"

[dweller]

19. don't want to be sitting in a place that's 50 percent empty

i'm looking forward to the time you will be in a place that's 100% full

it's called solitary confinement

✌🏼

[SBoy]

20. I'm sure Putin could provide the SRO crowd DT wants in Moscow

[mwooldri]

21. I believe a soccer club in Seoul can offer a solution.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/18/south-korean-football-team-apologises-for-using-sex-dolls-to-fill-stands

FC Seoul put sex dolls in the stands...

Given Trump's past history, I personally think it might actually be appropriate.

[quaker bill]

22. fill the seats, no masks

open carry, with Dr. Oz passing out the chloroquine by the bucket load. The drug has a notable side effect of causing paranoid delusions, this combined with open carry would make a memorable occasion.

[BannonsLiver]

23. Behind the scenes I don't think they have any intention of having a convention.

What this is about is creating a fog of war moment where he can make the decision to cancel someone else’s fault while playing to his cult in the ways he’s done over the last 5 years. It’s theater.

[herding cats]

24. Faux drama. They can't fill the seats and this is his out before being humiliated

This is as transparent as a window, people. He's faking drama because his disciples won't show up out of fear of COVID-19.

[Drum]

25. Why not book a cruise ship?

[demtenjeep]

26. NO

leave my ships alone

[Cha]

27. FUCKING BLOTUS LIAR.

[LiberalBrooke]

29. Haha

I bet the RNC already is ready to cancel the convention but the big baby needs to make it about himself have just another tantrum. As a parent and grandparent, I’ve ignored many tantrums about unreasonable demands. Just walk away and ignore him.

[Danmel]

30. I want an ooompa loompa

And I want it NOW!

[Fozzledick]

33. Why not just move it to Moscow? That's where they pick the candidate anyway.

[Blue Owl]

37. Fuck him and the escalator he rode in on

n/t

[Jamastiene]

39. I'm proud of Cooper for pushing back.

I have had misgivings in the past, but on this, I'm glad he stood his ground.