North Carolina Democratic Party Communications Director Austin Cook issued the following statement in response to reports that Jacksonville, Fla., will host Donald Trump’s speech accepting the Republican presidential nomination:

“State health officials have expressed concern that coronavirus case totals and hospitalizations continue to rise in North Carolina. Instead of working with state leaders in good faith to plan a convention that would abide by health guidelines, President Trump has demanded nothing short of a crowded arena with no safety precautions.

“If the president is genuinely delusional enough to think that demanding a full-scale convention is reasonable, then Jacksonville is more than welcome to host his acceptance speech. Governor Cooper has made it clear that no political event is worth risking the public health of the Charlotte community and the lives of more North Carolinians. Evidently President Trump’s calculus is different.”