White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said at a Tuesday briefing that the number of coronavirus cases continues to go down nationally and Trump wants to move forward with the nominating convention as planned. “Florida would love to have the RNC ,” DeSantis said Tuesday in Miami, noting that it would be good for business. Pence and state Republican Party officials on Monday suggested Florida as a possible alternative. Roy Cooper refuse to accede to his demand to fully return to normal by the start date of the August conference. Through Tuesday, Florida has reported more than 52,000 coronavirus cases, and 2,259 deaths.īut Florida’s pace of opening and declining COVID-19 cases has made it an attractive alternative for the Republican National Convention if Trump follows through on a threat to move it out of Charlotte should North Carolina Gov. But the governor has given the green light to summer camps, most beaches are open, and South Florida - the epicenter of the state’s outbreak - is slowly loosening restrictions. Under DeSantis, Florida continues to be in Phase I of its reopening, with schools still closed. “I have to tell you that it’s going to be a great inspiration to the country next week to see you two go aloft from the Kennedy Space Center,” Pence told the mission’s astronauts during a video conference.ĭeSantis was one of the first governors to meet Trump at the White House to talk about reopening in late April. Pence at a National Space Council meeting in Washington last week said the launch is both “a dawn of a new era of American leadership in space” and a symbol of the nation’s recovery from the pandemic that shuttered it 11 weeks ago. Trump’s last visit to Florida was the weekend of March 8, just before he announced he was suspending travel from Europe. Ron DeSantis to discuss the state’s strategy for reopening. Weather willing, Pence and Trump will present a united front at the space launch that will bring them back to the critical swing state a week after the vice president traveled to Orlando to meet with Florida Gov. “Joe Biden was very much a part of this whole thing,” said Nelson, adding later: “Any time you can have a president and vice president at a launch, I think it’s a good sign.” Trump and Pence attending Bill Nelson and former NASA administrator Charles Bolden complimented the Trump administration’s support for Wednesday’s launch but stressed that the Obama administration played a large role by encouraging commercial space travel. In a press call lined up by Biden’s campaign, former Democratic Florida U.S. “While we celebrate the SpaceX launch and are grateful it’s taking place in our state, let’s be clear that Donald Trump is not coming to Florida because the success of this mission depends on the president’s presence - he’s coming to campaign in the largest battleground state in the country,” Rizzo said in a statement.īut Democrats’ criticisms of Trump were notably laced with praise for the president’s efforts to promote commercial space travel. “ ’Launch America’ not only restores American dominance and unlocks our entrepreneurial spirit in space, but it also symbolizes America’s ‘transition to greatness’ after an unprecedented disruption.”įlorida Democratic Party Chairwoman Terrie Rizzo dismissed Trump’s visit Tuesday as politics as usual. “President Trump is looking forward to watching NASA Commercial Crew and SpaceX’s Demo-2 Launch send Americans to space from American soil for the first time in almost a decade,” said Assistant Press Secretary Austin Cantrell. The White House on Tuesday played up the flashy event as proof of its concept that private investment, innovation and collaboration can serve as a catalyst for economic revitalization, innovation and space travel, and that SpaceX’s reusable rockets are a safe and cost-efficient way for Americans to travel to space. “In the wake of this virus, it’s a relaunch of America.” ![]() It’s a relaunch of American astronauts from American soil into space,” said Florida Congressman Michael Waltz, who plans to travel Wednesday with Trump from Washington to Cape Canaveral. ![]() ![]() “It’s just hugely symbolic on a number of levels. The launch also offers Trump - unable to hold his signature rallies due to coronavirus restrictions - a dramatic homecoming at a crucial period, with states reopening and Election Day less than six months away. The launch from Florida’s Space Coast is a ready-made opportunity for the Republican president, who in his first term has prioritized space exploration, to push his message that America is open for business.
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