Trump reportedly said he wanted the RNC convention at full capacity despite the coronavirus pandemic because he doesn't 'want to be sitting in a place that's 50% empty'

Carolyn Kaster/AP

• President Donald Trump called North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper Friday in an attempt to appeal the governor's position on hosting a socially-distanced Republican National Convention, The Washington Post reported.
• Trump insisted on hosting the event at full capacity, whereas Cooper proposed a scaled-down convention as a precaution amid the coronavirus pandemic.
• "Since the day I came down the escalator, I've never had an empty seat and I find the biggest stadiums," Trump told Cooper, recalling when his presidential candidacy for the Republican party was announced at the Trump Tower in New York in June 2015.
• "I don't want to be sitting in a place that's 50 percent empty," the president continued on the call, according to two people familiar with it.
• The convention was planned to take place in late August at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event page, which has yet to be updated, states that nearly 50,000 attendees are expected over the course of the convention.
• However, Cooper has taken a cautious approach to reopening amid the COVID-19 pandemic; the state is currently in Phase 2 of reopening, which allows indoor gatherings of up to 10 people.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump called North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper Friday to appeal his decision to host a socially distanced Republican National Convention amid concerns relating to the coronavirus, The Washington Post reported.

Trump told Cooper that he wouldn't comply with a scaled-down version of the convention because he said he doesn't "want to be sitting in a place that's 50 percent empty" when his presidential renomination is announced, according to two people familiar with the call.

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