President Donald Trump speaks during a “Salute to America” event on the South Lawn of the White House, Saturday, July 4, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
TAMPA (NBC/WFLA) – Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski will not be attending the Republican National Convention next month in Jacksonville.
A spokesperson for Collins said the senator from Maine never made plans to attend the convention because she has never attended in years when she’s up for election.
A spokesperson for Murkowski also said that the senator doesn’t plan on attending, as she spends her August recess in her home state of Alaska every year.
Murkowski did not attend the RNC in 2016 either, citing a similar excuse, according to Rolling Stone.
Also not attending the RNC in Jacksonville next month are Republican Senators Chuck Grassley, Lamar Alexander and Mitt Romney.
Grassley said he won’t be going due to the coronavirus pandemic, Alexander said he’s not attending “because he believes the delegate spots should be reserved for those who have not had that privilege before as he has had.”
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, “won’t be attending the RNC convention,” spokesperson Arielle Mueller told USA TODAY.
His office did not specify whether his absence would be due to COVID-19 or for other reasons.
