Some GOP Senators to Skip Convention

According to a report from The Hill, a few GOP senators are not planning to attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where former President Donald Trump is expected to be selected as the party’s nominee for the White House. Some senators, including Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Todd Young of Indiana, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, have stated that they will not be attending the convention in July.

Other senators like Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas, and Rand Paul of Kentucky have not yet made a decision about attending, as reported by The Hill.

Most of these senators have not publicly supported Trump’s potential third bid for the White House. Senator Tillis’s support for Trump came after the primary fight and he is the only one among the group who has not expressed any reservations about attending the convention, according to The Hill.

Senator John Thune of South Dakota commented, “Everybody’s got to make their own call about it, but it’s part of our political life. The conventions have been going on for a long time, and I think the parties are tasked with trying to pull people together and make the decisions that are important to the leadership of our country.”

Senators Murkowski and Young cited conflicting travel plans as the reason for not attending, while Romney, who voted to convict Trump in two impeachment trials, is not expected to be there either, The Hill reported.

Senator Collins mentioned that she has not made a decision yet, and Senator Cassidy is also unsure about traveling to Milwaukee. Both senators voted to convict Trump in the second impeachment trial related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Senator Rounds stated that he currently has no plans to attend, but he could reconsider if Trump chooses a running mate that he supports, such as Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina or Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.

In the 2016 convention in Cleveland, more than 20 Senate Republicans stayed away, including some who are now supporters of Trump, as reported by The Hill.