Why Trump is holding first Republican midterm convention in Dallas

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump called House Speaker Mike Johnson last November with an urgent demand: Republicans had to hold a midterm convention.

“That’s not a thing,” Johnson told him.

“Make it a thing,” Trump insisted.

Republicans will assemble Wednesday and Thursday at the American Airlines Center for a string of speeches, candidate showcases and appeals to voters – with Trump taking the stage both nights.

The fight for Congress now comes to Dallas, bringing crowds, protests, tight security and potentially widespread disruptions. The city has had little more than two months to prepare for an event unlike any it has hosted in decades.

Texas will loom large, with top state GOP leaders speaking and its closely watched Senate contest in focus. Some Republicans in close races elsewhere are steering clear, saying they need to remain home to campaign.

National Democrats are coming, planning counterevents to challenge the GOP’s message on the economy, healthcare and the Iran war and make their own pitch to voters ahead of the November elections.

The convention-style rally – no party business is being conducted – is intended to promote the president’s achievements over the past 18 months and stamp “Trump” in big gold letters across the November ballot, at least in the minds of conservative voters.

Each night will feature Republicans in competitive races, including Attorney General Ken Paxton, who faces Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in an increasingly bitter fight for the Senate.

It’s a made-for-TV spectacle, and Johnson said the festivities are designed to turn enthusiasm for Trump into votes as Republicans try to reverse the trend of the president’s party losing congressional seats in midterm elections.

“The president’s going to look right into the camera and say ‘I am on the ballot,’” Johnson said. “Because even though his name isn’t, his administration, his legacy, the America First agenda is. We’ve got to get people to turn out.”

Here’s a look at Trump’s midterm gamble, the Texans in the spotlight, the Democratic response and Dallas’ turn as the temporary capital of Republican politics.

National party conventions are sweeping spectacles of political theater, and Republicans are betting on Trump’s star power to fend off the Democrats this fall.

Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston, who lost a Senate bid in the GOP primary earlier this year, hailed the convention as an effective way to energize the MAGA troops.

“When President Trump is on top of the ticket, everyone tends to do pretty well,” Hunt said. In the midterm, he’s not “so we have to do our best to mimic that to drive turnout for our faithful.”

Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, said Trump’s relatively low approval ratings signal a “pretty choppy election cycle” for his party, which also faces the usual challenge of motivating voters when it controls the White House and Congress.

After Republicans have enacted major priorities, he said, supporters may “sit back and have a beer on the deck” rather than show up again at the polls.

A number of GOP lawmakers and candidates have decided to skip the event, however, including some running in the battleground contests that party needs to carry to keep control of the House.

“A lot of Republican officeholders wonder, ‘Is the Trump focus going to be productive for the party or should there be a focus on issues like affordability that voters are directly interested in?’” Jillson said.

Texas will have an outsized presence, with some of the state’s biggest Republicans speaking and the Senate contest getting national attention.

The speaker list confirmed by the RNC includes Paxton, Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson.

Among other prominent speakers: Donald Trump Jr., Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Attorney General Todd Blanche, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Medicare and Medicaid chief Mehmet Oz.

Only five women appeared on the initial lineup of 47 speakers, although more participants are expected to be added, according to the RNC.

When Trump announced the gathering in June, he promised “lots of Great Entertainment.” No entertainment acts were listed in the schedule released Saturday.

Cruz’s remarks and their reception will be closely viewed amid speculation he could make another White House bid after losing the 2016 Republican primary to Trump.

Vice President JD Vance, another potential 2028 candidate, will headline Thursday night’s program. Trump is expected to appear both nights.

Sen. John Cornyn, who lost to Paxton in the GOP runoff in May, plans to skip it. He has said he supports the Republican ticket, including Paxton, but recently called the attorney general a poor campaigner who is “lazy and doesn’t raise money.”

Paxton dismissed the criticism, saying he campaigns 18 hours a day, as Republican groups have stepped up their financial support.

Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters said the gathering would present voters with “one simple choice” between Republican “common sense” and what he called the Democratic Party’s “radical liberal agenda.”

As at traditional political conventions, each night will be built around themes promoting Trump’s agenda through policy segments, testimonials from workers and families and tributes to Charlie Kirk and the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

The program also will appeal to the Make America Healthy Again wing of the party and promote a ban on stock trading by members of Congress.

The announced program includes no segment devoted to foreign policy or the war in Iran.

Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth, said it’s an opportunity to highlight what Republicans have accomplished with their congressional majorities, including cutting taxes, reducing government regulations and eliminating waste, fraud and abuse across federal agencies.

Whether Trump will stay on that message or spend time discussing subjects such as his new ballroom remains an open question.

“The teleprompter will be up there and he can choose to read from it or not,” Goldman said. “That’s part of his charm, if you will, is he’s not a normal, typical politician.”

Rep. Chip Roy of Austin, who lost the GOP primary for attorney general, said he is unlikely to attend, although he expects to be in the Dallas area for other events this week.

Republicans should tell voters they need another two years to finish the job on economic growth, privacy rights and other issues, he said.

“We’ve done a lot of good things,” Roy said. “We’ve left a lot of stuff unfinished. I would own that and say, look, give us a couple more years.”

Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock, who is not seeking reelection, said the convention should cast the midterm as a “presidential” election because losing Congress would impede Trump’s agenda.

“It’ll just be investigation, subpoena, impeachment” if Democrats take over, he said.

Dallas County Democrats said shortly after the host city was announced that Republicans had picked the area for a reason.

“Republicans are afraid of the blue wave headed to Texas this November,” they said.

County Chair Kardal Coleman described the convention as an attempt to distract voters while riling up the Republican base.

Democrats and allied groups plan to hold fundraisers and other events to counter the convention with their own message. That includes a City Hall demonstration to “reject hate” and support worker protections, criminal justice reform and human rights.

Anti-Trump organizers plan to march Thursday from Pike Park toward American Airlines Center, seeking to demonstrate as close to the convention as security restrictions allow.

“We’re at a fork in the road and Texas wants something different,” Coleman said last week.

Organizers put together the road show on an unusually short timeline.

By the numbers, the anticipated crowd of 20,000 is manageable for a city that has long been a convention destination.

FAN EXPO Dallas expects about 65,000 comic book, science fiction, anime and gaming fans when it opens Friday for a three-day run at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

But most Dallas affairs do not require Secret Service protection, security zones and preparations for protests.

Victory Park businesses and apartment residents will feel the greatest effects, with access restricted around the arena and some shops closing for both days.

The party has taken different approaches to distributing tickets, with the RNC providing allocations to state parties.

The Texas GOP initially charged up to $20,000 for convention packages that included perks such as floor access and hotel rooms. The RNC later opened a free public ticket lottery, and Dallas-area residents received text messages encouraging them to apply.

Questions remain about who will ultimately pay the city’s share. Dallas now estimates it will spend about $2.5 million on security and other services, up from an earlier estimate of $1.8 million.

Ray Washburne, co-chair of the private Dallas Host Committee that raised money to help stage the convention, said Sunday that the committee, the RNC and other organizers expect to cover most of the city’s costs.

A final accounting will be conducted afterward, but Washburne said organizers do not plan for Dallas to be “on the hook.”