Five Republican Senators To Skip GOP Convention

Axios reports:

At least five GOP senators have said they will not attend next month’s Republican National Convention in Jacksonville either due to coronavirus concerns or political reasons.

For some, like 86-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and 80-year-old Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the decision not to attend underscores broader concerns about holding mass gatherings in the coronavirus era.

For others, like Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), the nominating convention for President Trump is politically unsavory. The RNC has not reconsidered holding Trump’s acceptance speech in Jacksonville despite the increase in cases, though it will require daily coronavirus tests and temperature checks for attendees.

Also not attending: Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins. An aide for Collins says she never attends convention in years in which she’s up for reelection.