Trump to accept nomination in Florida as he reignites campaign trail

US president Donald Trump will accept his party's nomination to become its presidential candidate in Jacksonville, Florida, after the Republican Party moved most of its August convention from North Carolina following a feud with the state's governor.

The party had been scheduled to hold its late-August convention in Charlotte, but Democratic governor Roy Cooper had been unable to guarantee that the gathering could take place as planned due to social distancing restrictions.  Instead, most of the convention's main events – including Mr Trump's acceptance speech – will take in place in Florida, a key battleground state in November's election.

The coronavirus pandemic had thrown the future of the party conventions – traditionally the high point of the presidential election calendar when both parties choose their candidates – into doubt.

But Mr Trump was keen to press on with plans for an in-person convention, albeit on a reduced scale.

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“Not only does Florida hold a special place in President Trump’s heart as his home state, but it is crucial in the path to victory in 2020,” said Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. “We look forward to bringing this great celebration and economic boon to the Sunshine State in just a few short months.”

Bedminster golf resort

The Democratic Party is still considering its options for its convention, which has already been pushed back to August from its original date in July. Its presidential hopeful, Joe Biden, had been scheduled to accept his party's nomination in Wisconsin, also a key swing state in November's presidential election.

Mr Trump, who is spending this weekend at his Bedminster golf resort in New Jersey, has been keen to return to the campaign trail, almost three months after the coronavirus epidemic shut down broad swathes of the US economy and public life.

Rallies are planned for Arizona, Texas and Florida in the coming weeks, with the first event scheduled for next Friday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Supporters interested in attending have been requested to sign a disclaimer stating they will not sue the Trump campaign if they contract coronavirus, amid fears that the US is at risk of a second wave of infections.

A link on the Trump campaign website reads: “By attending the Rally, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.; BOK Center; ASM Global; or any of their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, contractors, or volunteers liable for any illness or injury.”

Second wave infection

The number of coronavirus cases in the United States has passed two million, and public health experts have warned of a possible second wave, as states ease social distancing restrictions. Southern states such as Texas and Arizona, which refrained from strict lockdown measures in the early days of the crisis, have been reporting an increase in cases in recent weeks. More than 20 states have reported a rise in infections.

Mr Trump’s decision to hold his first rally in Tulsa was controversial, given that June 19th is traditionally a date that marks the end of slavery in the United States. Tulsa was also the site of one of the most infamous instances of racial violence in US history when hundreds of African-Americans were massacred.

As the debate continued over police reform in the wake of the death of African-American man George Floyd in police custody last month, New York governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order obliging all local governments and police agencies in the state to develop a new plan on policing.

“We’re not going to fund police agencies in this state who do not look at what has been happening, come to terms with it and reform themselves,” he said. “We are not going to be subsidising improper police tactics.”

In Minneapolis, the Minnesota state legislature convened on Friday to consider a package of Bills to reform policing. The city council in Minneapolis, where Mr Floyd lost his life, has pledged to disband the current police force, though it is still considering what may replace it.