Storm cancels Trump as RNC speaker

- Tropical Storm Isaac forced the cancellation of a speech by business magnate Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., officials said. Trump was to appear as part of opening-night ceremonies Monday but the day's schedule was all but called off because of the storm. Trump was still expected to appear in Sarasota, where the local Republican party was to declare him 'Statesman of the Year," a Trump spokesman said. Trump is "bigger than Isaac," the Sarasota GOP said in a statement. Because of the storm, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus was to call the convention to order at 2 p.m. EDT Monday and start a "debt clock" before announcing a recess, the schedule indicated. "If the session lasts more than 5 minutes, I would be surprised," Schriefer told reporters. Other top-tier speakers appear to remain on tap for the convention. "All of the headliner speakers I've been able to find a place for in the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday schedule," Russell Schriefer, political strategist and media consultant for presidential candidate Mitt Romney, told reporters Sunday. "There have been a few speakers who weren't headliners who we had to let go," he said. Prime-time highlights include appearances by Mitt Romney's wife Ann and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie Tuesday, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and Romney running-mate Paul Ryan of Wisconsin Wednesday and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Romney Thursday, the schedule indicated. Other scheduled speakers included: -- Tuesday: House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. -- Wednesday: Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the 2008 GOP presidential candidate; former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. -- Thursday: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia, Gingrich's wife, Callista Gingrich, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Organizers had no plans to extend the convention until Friday, Priebus said, but it might be considered if the weather gets worse. "I would just say that we're planning on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday," Schriefer said. "Certainly if the weather changes in a way that we have to make some changes -- it's a hypothetical question and I really don't want to answer it in that way." An estimated 50,000 delegates and other attendees, along with some 15,000 protesters, planned to be in and around the convention center. Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott canceled his plans through Tuesday so he could focus solely on storm-related matters. The White House said President Barack Obama called him Sunday to offer assistance "to ensure the safety of those visiting the state for the Republican National Convention." Republican Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley announced he would bow out of the convention so he could prepare his state for the storm. Several other officials in the region did the same.