Less than two months before the legislative elections and with President Donald Trump’s popularity declining, the Republican Party is holding an unprecedented Midterm Convention this Wednesday and Thursday in Dallas, Texas, to highlight the “achievements” of his administration and try to save the Republican candidacies ahead of the November elections.
In the November 3 midterm elections, Trump is not on any ballot. Still, two months before, his party places him again at the center of a large congress to be held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, with a capacity for about 20,000 spectators.
In the United States, these types of large party congresses are normally held only before presidential elections to designate their respective candidates and show the unity of the coalitions around them. The Democrats already experimented with similar meetings in the 1970s and early 1980s, but for the Republicans, the format is new. In Texas, they want to mobilize Trump supporters in favor of the Republican candidates.
But this time it promises to be more of a damage control operation: the polls looking ahead to November 3 are not favorable to the party. All the seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate seats are at stake, and it is not unlikely that the Republicans will lose control of one or both chambers, and with it, the legislative initiative.
And the narrative is against the party that dominates the legislature and the executive. Among the reasons are the wear and tear of two years of Donald Trump’s government, tariffs, constant upheaval, the war in Iran, the cost of living, and especially the price of gasoline. Therefore, in an attempt to reverse this narrative, the president has called this unprecedented convention.
It is a Trump-a-palooza, in the words of Joe Gruters, head of the Republican National Committee (RNC), a mix between the president’s name and Lollapalooza, the famous music festival. Because that is what it is about, a visual political festival, with Trump as the headliner and more than 100 speakers designated as openers.
According to the newspaper El Mundo, the strategy could not be simpler or more obvious: focus everything on Trump’s figure to generate enthusiasm and energize his powerful voter base before the midterms. It is not about debating specific programs or strategies, but about mobilization, fundraising, and attention. Everything revolves around an essential idea in this administration: the president believes he is a loved, respected, and invincible figure.
“There is the theory that I get the votes,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News last week. “I see it all the time: when Trump is on the ballot, they win. When he is not, people don’t vote,” he insisted.
“Basically, it’s about some 35 electoral contests — a very important one is Texas — to maintain control and get good results. There are five senators and 30 congressmen, men and women. And I’m going to work very hard to make them win,” Trump said these days, announcing he would campaign in person in all of them.
But the Republicans face the electoral campaign with an unpopular president. In a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, Donald Trump received only 33% approval. Added to this is that the Democrats are currently much more mobilized. Almost half of their supporters say they feel especially enthusiastic about the midterm elections. Among Republicans, the percentage is only 31%. Also, a YouGov poll published last month shows that 91% of registered Democrats plan to vote, compared to 79% of registered Republicans.
Despite this, the staging of the convention is completely designed around Trump. The U.S. president is expected to speak both nights, thus occupying a more prominent place than the Republican candidates who will indeed run for Senate and House seats in November.
However, precisely for some of those candidates, proximity to Trump poses a risk. In a survey conducted among more than 70 Republican candidates and congressmen, Politico magazine found considerable reluctance toward the convention.
Apparently, many candidates in contested districts avoid too close a link with the president. The fact that some aspirants even completely skip their own party convention shows Trump’s dilemma. On one hand, he must mobilize mainly the MAGA movement base; on the other, his strong presence could at the same time scare off moderate voters and further mobilize the political opponent, warns Deutsche Welle.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged last week at a press conference that many Republican lawmakers will stay in their districts and not attend. “It’s a crucial moment, right before early voting begins nationwide,” he said. Organizers have expressed confidence that the stadium will be filled.
Senators like Tommy Tuberville (Alabama), John Cornyn (Texas), and Mike Rounds (South Dakota) and representatives running for reelection such as David Valadao (California), Mike LaLota (New York), or Juan Ciscomani (Arizona) are not expected in Dallas, according to U.S. media outlets engaged in a race to take attendance at the Trump-a-palooza, notes the newspaper El País. The excuses vary, but conservative commentator Jay Nordlinger sums them up ironically with an “old American slang expression”: “That day they have a hairdresser appointment.”
Many of the candidates scheduled to speak are in tight races, including four involved in important Senate contests and at least 10 in close House competitions, Reuters reported.
It is a calculated risk for candidates in key states, who could benefit from national exposure, presidential favor, and fundraising support, but who risk alienating undecided voters by appearing in what Republicans call a “Trump-a-palooza.”
“Many of these contests are going to be very close, as we have seen in previous midterm election cycles,” Natalie Baldassarre, national press secretary of the Republican National Committee (RNC), told CNN. “Therefore, our goal is to remind voters who don’t always actively participate in politics that there are elections in November and that it is essential they go out and vote.”
A Republican source said the decision by the Congressional Republican National Committee to ask House lawmakers to pay at least $25,000 per ticket contributed to participation decisions for the Dallas event.
“I think it definitely influenced member attendance,” the Republican source told CNN. “Obviously, there are some members involved in tighter races who consider it more beneficial to be on the campaign trail.”
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A source close to the NRCC said the $25,000 price is lower than previous conventions and is typical for this type of event. The source added that the committee has already distributed all available tickets, which amount to more than 2,700.
First Lady Melania Trump will also not attend the convention, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune will be in Dallas but will not take the stage, fueling the impression of his lack of alignment with Trump. The latter blames Thune for the failure in Congress of the current administration’s ambitious electoral reform, which would represent a profound change in U.S. voting rules by tightening access to voting for millions of citizens.
Despite the expected absences of some candidates in key races, Trump promoted the convention on social media Tuesday night as a “completely sold-out” event.
“Everyone wants to be there, but we only ask those candidates in very tight races, with a slight lead, a slight disadvantage, or even no difference, to speak. We want to reserve the stage for them,” the president said. “We don’t need people who have a 45-point lead and have been in office for 30 years, no matter how much we appreciate them!”
The president is prepared to dominate the event. Trump will be the main speaker both Wednesday night and the closing speaker on Thursday. Vice President J.D. Vance will play a prominent role as the main speaker on Thursday.
Other Republican administration leaders are also scheduled to speak, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz; and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner.
Attorney General Todd Blanche will also speak, a prominent appearance at a party event despite the traditionally nonpartisan nature of his role leading the Department of Justice, CNN noted.
Finally, former press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Donald Trump Jr. complete the list of Trump representatives who will speak at the convention.
Trump and other speakers are expected to use the series of victories by left-wing and democratic socialist candidates in the Democratic primaries to portray the Democrats as extremists and out of touch with working families’ concerns.
This year, Trump has repeatedly and falsely labeled Democrats as “communists,” an important line of attack ahead of the convention.
Kendall Witmer, spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, said the Republican convention served to divert attention from voters’ concerns about high prices.
Organizers say that each night Republican candidates competing in key legislative contests across the country will be presented, as well as “ordinary Americans” who claim to have benefited from Trump’s policies.
The event will focus on issues such as trade, public safety, and the contrast Republican candidates will draw against the “extreme stances” of the Democrats.
Party leaders say the convention offers a platform to refocus voters’ attention on Trump’s tax cuts, his efforts to secure the southern border with Mexico, national manufacturing, and his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, which includes pushing to lower drug prices.
“This historic Midterm Convention will highlight President Trump’s numerous achievements and his unwavering commitment to restoring America,” defended Gruters, the little-known chairman of the Republican National Committee. “We need the president front and center, front row,” he emphasized.
On Thursday, the eve of the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, organizers plan a commemorative event with the families of emergency teams.
On the last day, young Republicans will commemorate the first anniversary of the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, who was shot and killed on a Utah university campus.
Organizers say they expect about 30,000 attendees over the two days of the convention, which has been funded by Republican donors and will cost more than $40 million.
According to El Mundo, the event is expected to raise more than $50 million in direct and indirect donations (many delegates pay small fortunes to be there and aspire to a moment with Trump). In fact, attending a roundtable with the president this Wednesday costs $250,000 per person. Donors can also take a photo with the White House occupant for the modest price of $88,600. The price for the same with Vice President Vance drops to $75,000 and $35,000, respectively.
