Several key Republicans in the Senate haven’t made a decision on whether they will attend former President Donald Trump’s presidential nomination at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Susan Collins (R-ME), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Rand Paul (R-KY), told the Hill they have not decided whether they will attend gathering. Four, including Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Todd Young (R-IN) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), have decided they will not go.
That makes at least nine of the Republican party’s 49 senators who will not or haven’t decided on going to the convention. Eight of the nine have not backed Trump’s presidential run, and that appears to be a key factor in their decision or lack thereof to go to the convention.
There’s precedent for GOP senators missing the convention. More than 20 Senate Republicans avoided the 2016 convention as the party grappled with Trump’s nomination, and some avoided the 2020 iteration, though that was heavily influenced by COVID-19.
The 2024 convention is Trump’s third, and a major event, like the pandemic, isn’t reducing attendance.
Rounds has indicated that he could change his mind about attending depending on who Trump picks for his running mate. He likes Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who is a favorite, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) in particular.
“If we could go and support his candidacy, that would be something I would really take a hard look at,” Rounds said. “I haven’t got any hotel rooms yet, but that doesn’t mean I might not in the future.”
While some may consider Republican senators’ decision to go to the convention as a measure of their support for Trump, some GOP senators aren’t going to the convention simply because watching it on television is easier than dealing with the logistics of traveling. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), who backs Trump’s bid for president, said she’s not going due to that.
“The hotels tend to be an hour away from the venue, and it’s always really hard to get in and out logistically,” Lummis said. “I’ve been to multiple conventions. … I’d rather watch on television just because it’s a challenge logistically.”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) said there’s no doubt he’s going, saying he’s going to be there when “they open the doors,” to “when they close them, I’ll be leaving.”
He doesn’t understand GOP members’ debate on the topic.
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“I don’t know why there would be a debate [about going]. Are they not concerned about our country? This isn’t about the president, this is about our country.”
The 2024 Republican National Convention will be held from July 15 to 18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, roughly a month before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.