‘Historic Event’: Trump announces Republican midterm convention | Republicans
Donald Trump announced that Republicans will hold their first national convention ahead of the midterm elections, a move aimed at mobilizing voters at a time when the party is struggling to maintain its narrow congressional majority in November.
The two-day meeting will take place in Dallas on September 9 and 10 and will mark a break from the long-standing tradition of holding national conventions only in presidential election years. Trump confirmed the plans in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, describing Dallas as “one of my favorite places on Earth.”
“This has never been done before and it will be a truly historic event,” he said, promising the convention would feature “Big Entertainment.”
Trump first came up with the idea He argued for a convention last year that it would provide an opportunity to showcase his administration’s accomplishments since returning to the White House in 2024.
The convention comes as Republicans seek to challenge the historical pattern of the president’s party losing seats in midterm elections. If Democrats gain control of either (or both) chambers, they will have the opportunity to block much of Trump’s legislative agenda and launch investigations into his administration in the final years of his second term.
Trump’s national approval ratings are very low and have been declining, fueled by negative views of his handling of the US economy. Voters prefer Democrats Congressional race.
The president remains a hugely influential force in the Republican base, and the party will need to build that base strongly. But the midterms could spell trouble for vulnerable Republicans running in places where Trump is widely unpopular and where his policies — from the war in Iran to his administration’s crackdown on immigrants — have deeply divided residents.
The selection of Texas for Congress puts a direct spotlight on the key Senate race between the state’s Democratic candidate James Talarico and Republican candidate Ken Paxton. Democrats haven’t won a statewide race in Texas in decades, but New York Times/Siena poll A report released this week shows the race is a toss-up.
Paxton, the Texas attorney general, earned Trump’s endorsement in the GOP primary, ultimately defeating longtime incumbent senator John Cornyn. His candidacy comes with a history of political and legal wrangling that Democrats believe provides an opportunity for Talarico, a charismatic state representative and Presbyterian seminarian.
Holding the meeting in Texas will also underscore the fallout from Trump’s mid-decade push for congressional redistricting, which began in Texas as an effort aimed at boosting Republican prospects in this fall’s elections.
Earlier this year, the Republican National Committee decided to change its rules to allow national conventions outside of the four-year presidential term.
Democratic National Committee opposed He is hosting a midterm convention of his own, arguing that the party would rather spend its resources building up local and state infrastructure as it tries to win back power from Republicans in November.
Although unusual in the modern era, the Democratic party had previously held midterm conferences in the 1970s and 1980s.
