{UAH} Some GOP senators opt not to attend Trump's acceptance speech

Some GOP senators opt not to attend Trump's acceptance speech

From CNN's Ryan Nobles and Sarah Westwood

Senator Ted Cruz arrives for the Senate Republican luncheon at the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on August 4. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

A number of Republican senators are opting not to attend President Trump's acceptance speech at the White House, despite most receiving invitations to join the audience on the South Lawn.

The Senate is not in session, and many lawmakers have returned to their home states for the rest of August recess. However, while some of the President's strong supporters in the upper chamber are making the trip to Washington to attend the final night of the GOP convention, others are citing excuses from a "prior commitment" to preferring to watch from home.

Republican Sens. Tom Cotton, Thom Tillis, Roy Blunt, Kevin Cramer and Lindsey Graham are among the lawmakers expected to attend the event on Thursday evening. Cramer plans to bring his wife, an aide said.

CNN reached out to the offices all of 53 sitting Republican senators to see if they planned to attend the President's acceptance speech.

Many offices did not respond to our inquiry, but nearly a dozen Republican Senate offices confirmed to CNN that their members would not be joining Trump's supporters on the White House South Lawn.

Sen. Tim Scott – who himself spoke at the convention on Monday – had a "prior commitment" that will prevent his attendance. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz will be dealing with the fallout from the advance of Hurricane Laura in Texas. Sen. James Lankford will plan to watch from his home state of Oklahoma. And others pointed to reasons from personal health to family issues as to why they would not attend.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will also not be in attendance, but is taping a message to be played during the convention.

Sen. Mitt Romney was not invited.

Guidance provided to guests ahead of the speech suggests people will not be tested for Covid-19, nor will they be forced to wear masks in all common areas. A number of older senators had telegraphed in advance that they were unlikely to attend an in-person component of the convention due to health concerns.

The Trump campaign did not respond to a CNN request for a list of Senate attendees.

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