City Set To Host Republican Convention Condemns Trump’s Comments As Racist

The city of Charlotte, North Carolina has condemned recent statements by President Donald Trump as racist and xenophobic, according to a report in the Charlotte Observer. This condemnation would hardly have made headlines but for the fact that Charlotte is set to play a major role in Trump’s re-election bid.

The 2020 Republican national convention is scheduled to be held in Charlotte, so the city council’s decision to denounce Trump’s remarks could create a slight headache for the RNC, especially if the President lashes out on Twitter.

The city council voted 9 to 2 to condemn some tweets and comments made by the President, including his recent racist tweets about Democratic congresswomen going back to their supposed countries of origin and his ‘very fine people’ remark regarding an Alt-Right march in Charlottesville.

North Carolina voted for Trump in the 2016 presidential election, and the Charlotte may have been chosen because it has been a reliably red state for some years. However, North Carolina backed Barack Obama in 2008 and could be in play next year.

Despite the relative low level criticism of Trump, the President has a history of reacting badly to condemnation of this kind. It’s unlikely the convention could be moved even if Trump lashes out at the city – the logistics of a national convention would make that very difficult.