Former President Donald Trump is facing the possibility of serving his sentence for his hush money conviction at the same time that he is officially nominated by the GOP for president. As a result, the Republican National Committee is reportedly planning for a scenario in which Trump does not attend the convention in person — or at all.
Citing two anonymous sources familiar with the planning, NBC News reports that organizers are making preparations at Mar-a-Lago in Florida and at the event site in Milwaukee where the convention will be held "should Trump either choose to make appearances from afar or be unable to attend."
Trump, who was found guilty on 34 felony counts in the New York case last month, faces up to four years in jail for each count. But as a first-time offender, he is a candidate to get a lighter sentence, ranging from a fine to probation to conditional discharge, which could see him placed under house arrest.
The RNC is erecting convention-themed staging at Mar-a-Lago, as well as a large screen at the Milwaukee venue in case Judge Juan Merchan orders house arrest for the former president, according to NBC News. After NBC published its report, however, Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes issued a statement saying, “At no time has convention planning involved any option than President Trump in person to accept his formal nomination as president.”
In any event, it is a possibility that Trump may be unable to attend the convention, given that it starts just four days after his sentencing hearing on July 11.
Having Trump appear virtually to accept his nomination for president because he is under house arrest would be yet another first for him and for the country.
If he is indeed unable to travel to Wisconsin for any reason, it might be just as well: Trump reportedly called Milwaukee a "horrible city" in a closed-door meeting with House Republicans on Thursday. His campaign disputed that, although several GOP lawmakers who were in the room had wildly different accounts of the comment.