In a major reversal, President Trump has canceled the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville due to a surge in coronavirus cases in Florida.

President Donald Trump: “The timing for this event is not right. It’s just not right with what’s happened recently — the flare-up in Florida — to have a big convention. It’s not the right time.”

Last month, Trump moved much of the convention to Jacksonville from Charlotte after North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper rejected requests from the president and the RNC to be able to hold a full convention without social distancing or face coverings. Trump canceled the Jacksonville RNC on the same day Florida reported more than 10,000 new COVID-19 cases and a record 173 deaths, including a 9-year-old girl.