On Tuesday night President Trump signaled he will move the Republican National Convention out of North Carolina after the state and the GOP clashed over potential restrictions due to the coronavirus.

“Had long planned to have the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, a place I love. Now, @NC_Governor Roy Cooper and his representatives refuse to guarantee that we can have use of the Spectrum Arena,” Trump tweeted.

“Governor Cooper is still in Shelter-In-Place Mode, and not allowing us to occupy the arena as originally anticipated and promised,” he continued, saying the party is “now forced to seek another State to host the 2020 Republican National Convention.”

Medical experts have advised against holding large gatherings as the Covid-19 outbreak persists. 

Concerns similar to these have increased the chances that the Democratic convention may be held virtually, but Trump has been insistent that he wants an in-person event to mark his nomination.

Cooper wrote in a letter to Republican National Committee leaders earlier Tuesday that it was a “necessity” to plan for a “scaled-down convention with fewer people, social distancing and face coverings.”

“With the Nation, the State of North Carolina and the City of Charlotte still under states of emergency it’s important to conduct the RNC convention accordingly,” Cooper wrote to RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and Republican National Convention President Marcia Lee Kelly. 

“As much as we want the conditions surrounding COVID-19 to be favorable enough for you to hold the Convention you describe in late August, it is very unlikely. Neither public health officials nor I will risk the health and safety of North Carolinians by providing the guarantee you seek,” he wrote.

Governors in Georgia and Florida have indicated an interest in hosting the gathering, and RNC officials reportedly visited Nashville, Tennessee this week to assess the city as a potential site.