Bringing the Republican National Convention to San Antonio Is a ‘Terrible Idea,’ Says Judge Wolff
June 10, 2020 - San Antonio
As welcome as a tornado on a trail drive. On Monday, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff gave two reasons why hosting the Republican National Convention to San Antonio’s AT&T Center is “a terrible idea.” Photo: Jade Esteban Estrada.
By Jade Esteban Estrada - Political Columnist, San Antonio Sentinel
On Tuesday, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said that he would be unsupportive of a proposal to bring the 2020 Republican National Convention to San Antonio’s AT&T Center. The August event was originally scheduled to take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, but President Donald J. Trump decided to move the larger portion of the high-profile gathering to a location with less Covid-19 restrictions.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said that the GOP event would have to observe social distancing measures and that attendees would have to wear face coverings.
“We have been committed to a safe RNC convention in North Carolina and it’s unfortunate they never agreed to scale down and make changes to keep people safe,” Cooper tweeted on June 2. “Protecting public health and safety during this pandemic is a priority.”
Because a full-fledged convention could not be guaranteed, Trump tweeted that the GOP would look elsewhere to hold the celebration.
San Antonio received a knock on the door, according to Wolff.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. In fact, I think it’s a bad idea,” said Wolff, who is aware of the reasons the RNC moved away from the Queen City plan. “[Trump] says he’s not going to go there anymore because he can’t have a full 25,000 people chatting it up. The president really doesn’t want to comply with local health regulations.”
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Wolff also believes that the president’s incendiary words towards demonstrators could inspire a continuance of unrest in the downtown area.
“Just walk down Houston street [to see] if that’s not enough to give you a reason why we shouldn’t do it,” he said. “At least 20 or 30 places are boarded up because of the violence that occurred with his…striking rhetoric about police [needing] to get tough with [protesters]. We could have a serious problem here with riots.”
On Monday, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel, the niece of U.S. Senator Mitt Romney, told FOX & Friends that her organization would have to make a decision within the week on where their convention would ultimately be held. Jacksonville, Florida has been tentatively selected as the new location, however, the GOP are keeping their options open until they have to make a decision.
As for the San Antonio bid, Wolff reiterated, “I think that’s a terrible idea.”
Jade Esteban Estrada is a political columnist at the San Antonio Sentinel. He can be reached at jade@sasentinel.com.