Biden won’t travel to nominating convention; Trump says he may hold ceremony at White House

WASHINGTON — The US election plunges deeper into unprecedented territory as challenger Joe Biden announces he will accept his nomination virtually and US President Donald Trump suggests breaking tradition by holding his own ceremony at the White House.

Citing coronavirus health risks, the Biden campaign says he will make his speech — the high point of a candidate’s race — from his Delaware home where he has spent most of the last months.

He had planned to attend the August 17-20 Democratic convention in Milwaukee, which was already heavily scaled-down from the massive event typical before US elections.

But the party says the risk was still too high, and switched to a fully virtual affair.

“From the very beginning of this pandemic, we put the health and safety of the American people first,” says Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez.

Trump, whose reelection bid is struggling with a badly wounded economy and surging COVID-19 pandemic, signals he may also accept his nomination from home — in his case, the White House.

“I love the building. I’m there right now. I spend a lot of time here,” he tells Fox News.

Trump’s August 27 acceptance speech was originally planned for North Carolina, but that was scrapped due to the coronavirus, as was the back-up location, leaving the Republican scrambling for alternatives.

However, presidents are required to separate their campaigning from taxpayer-funded governing. If he goes ahead, Trump would be breaking at the very least with presidential decorum by turning the South Lawn of the iconic building into his personal campaign stage.

Trump defends the idea as “by far the least expensive” and says that logistically it would require far less movement of staff and guests.

— AFP