The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee will not accept his party's nomination at the Democratic National Convention because of concerns over the still-raging coronavirus pandemic, Democratic officials announced Wednesday.
Instead of traveling to Milwaukee, Joe Biden will accept the nomination remotely from his home state of Delaware, party officials said. The former vice president will also deliver his acceptance speech remotely via streaming video.
"From the very beginning of this pandemic, we put the health and safety of the American people first. We followed the science, listened to doctors and public health experts, and we continued making adjustments to our plans in order to protect lives," Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said. "That's the kind of steady and responsible leadership America deserves. And that's the leadership Joe Biden will bring to the White House."
Other speakers won't travel to the convention grounds in Milwaukee, either, opting instead to deliver virtual speeches.
"While we wish we could move forward with welcoming the world to beautiful Milwaukee in two weeks, we recognize protecting the health of our host community and everyone involved with this convention must be paramount," said Joe Solmonese, CEO of the Democratic convention.
The pared-down convention is still slated to take place in Milwaukee from Aug. 17-20. However, very few aspects of the political bash will take place in-person.
