President Donald Trump called on his party to make amendments to their 2016 party platform, just days after the GOP announced that they didn’t plan to make any updates.
“The Republican Party has not yet voted on a Platform,” Trump tweeted on Friday morning. “No rush. I prefer a new and updated Platform, short form, if possible.”
The president, who is representing the Republican Party while seeking re-election, seems to be pushing his own party to rethink a decision already made about what their candidates will need to align themselves with.
According to Fox News , the GOP’s executive committee voted on Wednesday not to make any changes to the existing platform. They did, however, move to make dramatic changes to the business aspects of the party’s upcoming convention, which is still slated to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina.
While Trump didn’t elaborate as to what he wished to see changed about the party’s platform, some of the more obvious points would likely be in the language that was drafted four years ago, including outdated references about the “current” president, which was, at the time, former President Barack Obama.
Another controversial issue which the GOP has left in their platform was the language that opposes gay marriage and supports conversion therapy as a response. What is not included, according to Fox News , is any references to police reform or statements in opposition to the defunding of police departments.
According to the network, aides for the Trump campaign, as well as Republican Party officials, have considered trimming down the 58-page document to reflect a more recent version of its top issues.
While the business portion of the convention is still being held in Charlotte, it has limited its participation to just 336 delegates, versus the more than 2,500 that would normally take part. The celebratory portions of the event, including Trump accepting the party’s nomination, have reportedly been moved to Jacksonville, Florida.
Hat’s off to Jacksonville FL Republican mayor Lenny Curry for welcoming @realDonaldTrump and the RNC Convention to his city. pic.twitter.com/BKLTbhDnP6
— Dave Giles for Congress (R) AZ-4 (@VoteGiles) June 11, 2020
The move was sparked by news that Gov. Roy Cooper, an outspoken Democrat, announced that he wouldn’t guarantee the convention a full-fledged convention with an arena, citing health concerns over the COVID-19 outbreak.
The reports of Trump’s demand for a change in platform come on the heels of multiple Republicans showing a lack of trust in him.
Included in the ranks of those pulling away from the Trump administration are Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who told reporters last week that she was “struggling” with whether or not to vote for the president in November.
