The announcement that the Republican National Convention was coming to Florida in August was supposed to be a slam dunk win for Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state GOP.

But it came just as Florida began seeing a stretch of record single-day numbers of new coronavirus cases — and Jacksonville, the site of the convention, was the scene of some of the most troubling examples of the virus hitting restaurants and bars.

The party’s decision to move most of the RNC from Charlotte with less than three months to go was already a risky gambit, showing the importance of Florida for President Donald Trump’s reelection chances. But could holding such a massive event backfire in the middle of the pandemic and with nationwide demonstrations against police brutality?

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