BAILING

Chuck Grassley to Skip First Republican Convention in 40 Years Due to Coronavirus

The 86-year-old Iowa Senator said he would miss the convention due to coronavirus concerns.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley will not attend this year’s Republican National Convention, marking the first one he’s missed since being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980. Grassley, who is 86, cited the coronavirus pandemic as his reason for skipping the event. The convention, where President Donald Trump will accept the Republican presidential nomination, is set to be held in Jacksonville, Florida at the end of August. Florida has seen a surge in coronavirus cases, topping 200,000 over the weekend. The convention was originally scheduled to be held in North Carolina, but was moved to Jacksonville after North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said they wouldn’t allow the event to go on. Grassley said he agreed with the move, and that social distancing and mask wearing measures should be in place at the convention.