Democratic National Convention Postponed Until August Over CCP Virus

The Milwaukee Art Museum on the waterfront and the downtown skyline in Milwaukee on Dec. 13, 2017. Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP

The Democratic National Convention has been delayed from July until August amid the pandemic threat, officials confirmed Thursday.

“In our current climate of uncertainty, we believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how this situation unfolds so we can best position our party for a safe and successful convention,” said Democratic National Convention Committee CEO Joe Solmonese in a news release.

“I have always believed that American innovation and ingenuity shine brightest during our darkest days, and for that reason, I’m confident our convention planning team and our partners will find a way to deliver a convention in Milwaukee this summer that places our Democratic nominee on the path to victory in November,” he said.

The convention, which will serve as the venue to nominate the Democrats’ candidate to run against President Donald Trump in November, will now be held in the week of Aug. 17 in Milwaukee.

With the move, planners will now be provided more time to structure the event, according to the news release.

A person wearing a mask walks on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California, on April 1, 2020. Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus outbreak already forced the postponement of Democratic primaries in several states.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said that the decision to postpone the convention was “absolutely the right move,” reported the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“It underscores the commitment that they have made to Milwaukee,” he said. “It underscores the commitment they have made to Wisconsin and it is my hope that by having it in August it will be a much needed shot in the arm for our restaurants, hotels, and other businesses.”

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the front-runner in the 2020 Democratic election, said earlier this week that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Democratic convention was postponed over the pandemic. A reporter with MSNBC had asked him if he could imagine it being held in July as originally planned.

“It’s hard to envision that,” Biden said. “We ought to be able—we were able to do it in the middle of the Civil War all the way through to World War II—have Democratic and Republican conventions and primaries and elections and still have public safety. And we’re able to do both. But the fact is it may have to be different,” he added.

The CCP virus, a type of coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19, is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China, before CCP mismanagement and efforts to cover it up led to a worldwide pandemic. More than 200,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the United States as of Thursday along with more than 5,000 deaths, according to a running tally from Johns Hopkins University.

In Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evers, a Democratic, has banned mass gatherings and said that meetings of more than 10 people can help spread the virus. He issued a stay-at-home order until at least April 24.