President Donald Trump confirmed this week that he intends to give his acceptance speech for the presidential nomination at this months Republican Party convention from the White House lawn.
“Ill probably be giving my speech at the White House because it is a great place. Its a place that makes me feel good, it makes the country feel good,” Trump told the New York Post, saying it would also be easiest for law enforcement and the Secret Service and would be a “tremendous saving in cost” since he lives there already.
“Wed do it possibly outside on one of the lawns, we have various lawns, so we could have it outside in terms of the China virus.”
When asked whether he would formally accept the Republican nomination for president with a crowd of supporters, Trump said, “We could have quite a group of people. Its very big, a very big lawn. We could have a big group of people.”
Trump last week proposed accepting the Republican nomination for the Nov. 3 election in a speech from the White House, prompting accusations by senior Democrats that he was politicizing the historic residence. Earlier this week he floated the idea of the site of the Civil War battleground in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania but told The Post that he didnt like the idea of delivering an address there in the middle of summer.
The president told the news outlet that he will visit his second choice location for the speech, Gettysburg, at a “later date.”
“Gettysburg is special. I will be doing something at Gettysburg, it may be something different, not for the convention,” he said. “Were going to be doing something terrific at Gettysburg but when it gets a little bit cooler because now its, you know, its August 27, so thats pretty hot out there,” he continued.
“Were going to do something, I love Pennsylvania and I love Gettysburg, so were going to do something in Gettysburg at a little bit later date,” he added.
The idea of Trump delivering his convention speech from the White House received criticism from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who said it was wrong.
“Whether its legally wrong or ethically out of the question, it shouldnt even have been something that was expressed,” Pelosi told MSNBC.
In an advisory opinion (pdf) issued on Aug. 12 in response to a request from Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York regarding the Hatch Act, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel confirmed federal law does not preclude President Trump from delivering a speech at the White House to accept the GOPs presidential nomination.
The Hatch Act is a federal law that governs the political activity of executive branch employees, and proRead More From Source
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