The Republican National Committee is hosting its first-ever midterm convention in Dallas on September 9-10, with President Donald Trump set to deliver the keynote address and close out the event. The party is pinning its hopes for retaining congressional majorities on Trump's ability to energize loyal supporters, despite his low popularity in public polls. A total of 16 candidates from competitive House and Senate races are scheduled to speak at the convention, while several high-profile Republicans, including Representative Tom Barrett and Senator Susan Collins, are skipping the event. The convention is expected to attract a crowd of around 20,000 people, with tickets given away through a free lottery after concerns were raised about low attendance.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
President Donald Trump's midterms convention, a two-day event in Dallas, Texas, has become a focus of attention as Republicans gather to boost enthusiasm ahead of the November elections. However, the event is facing challenges, including low attendance from top Republican leaders, with some citing conflicting obligations or concerns about being associated with an unpopular president.
Only 45 GOP lawmakers are expected to attend, and at least 10 have already skipped the convention, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) who has opted out of making a speech but will still be attending. The convention is also notable for its lackluster seating arrangements, with New York's delegation placed in a less prominent location than usual.
The event, dubbed "Trump-a-Palooza," is intended to rally voters around Trump's record despite his low approval ratings. However, some Republicans are expressing concerns about the timing and focus of the convention, which comes as the party faces increasingly grim forecasts for elections that could cost it control of Congress.
In response, Democrats have announced plans to counterprogram the event, sending their top messengers to highlight the affordability crisis and expose what they call "Trump Cartel corruption." The Democratic National Committee has also criticized the Republicans' decision to hold a midterm convention, calling it a "waste of time" when voters are already making up their minds.
Written for “Trump's Midterm Convention” on 2026-09-09,
grounded in this article and the 22 other(s) covering the same event.
Republicans tie midterm hopes to Trump at Dallas convention despite political risks
DALLAS, Sept 9 -
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Republicans → tie → risks
Republicans will kick off their first-ever midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday, betting President Donald Trump can energize core supporters and help the party hold onto its congressional majorities despite polls showing he is broadly unpopular.
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he → kick → polls
The two-day gathering of Republican leaders and activists will underscore the extent to which Republicans are tethering their fortunes to Trump and serve as a showcase for a midterm strategy ahead of the November 3 elections.
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Republicans → underscore → elections
The event is so centered on the president that Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters has informally dubbed it "Trumpapalooza," a nod to the popular Lollapalooza music festival.
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Gruters → center → festival
Many Republicans in competitive House and Senate races are skipping the convention, however, underscoring concerns within the party that Trump's appeal to loyal supporters may not be enough to overcome broader voter dissatisfaction over inflation and the war on Iran.
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appeal → skip → Iran
With the elections less than two months away, Republicans face the prospect of losing control of at least one chamber of Congress, with public polling showing Democrats more motivated to vote.
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Democrats → face → Congress
"A lot of people are feeding into the narrative that things are worse off than they ever have been," Sergio Arellano, chair of Republican Party of Arizona, said in an interview.
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Arellano → feed → interview
"It's important that we reconnect, refresh and reenergize."
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we → reconnect → ?
With no official party business on the agenda, the gathering is shaping up to resemble a Trump campaign rally more than a traditional party convention, which is held every four years in the run-up to a presidential election.
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which → shape → election
Trump will deliver the keynote address on Wednesday night and take the stage again after Vice President JD Vance on Thursday to close out the event.
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Trump → deliver → event
RNC spokesman Rick Gorka said the party expects to fill the 20,000-seat American Airlines Center with officials, donors, activists and members of the public, after opening the gathering to the public through a free ticket lottery.
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party → say → lottery
Organizers took the unusual step as some party insiders privately worried attendance could fall short of expectations.
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attendance → take → expectations
The RNC schedule of speakers shows that at least 16 candidates in competitive House and Senate races will be speaking.
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candidates → show → races
Those staying away include Representative Tom Barrett of Michigan and Senator Susan Collins of Maine.
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Those → stay → Maine
Matthew Wilson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, said some candidates may fear the convention will "be more a celebration of Trump" than an effort to boost Republican House and Senate candidates.
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convention → say → candidates
"Trump has always cared more about brand Trump than about the Republican Party," Wilson said.
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Wilson → care → Party
"I think that's why there's some wariness from their standpoint about being a visible presence at this event.
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that → think → event
That critique echoes a broader complaint from Trump's opponents, who say he has spent much of the summer burnishing his legacy through construction projects in Washington, rather than addressing Americans' concerns about rising living costs.
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he → echo → costs
A CHANCE TO RALLY THE BASE
The convention will face stiff competition for viewers with the start of the NFL season, with opening night coinciding with a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks and Thursday's program overlapping with a matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.
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program → rally → 49ers
Still, after months of negative headlines over the Iran war and inflation, many Republicans see the gathering as their best chance to promote candidates, draw contrasts with Democrats on affordability, immigration and healthcare, and energize a Republican electorate expressing less enthusiasm about voting than Democrats, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
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Republicans → see → poll
Trump cabinet members who will address the gathering include Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, whose comments are likely to be closely watched amid concerns about the growing U.S. debt and high cost of living.
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comments → address → living
One notable absence from the published list of speakers is Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who has publicly clashed with Trump over the Senate's failure to advance the SAVE America Act, a voting restrictions bill championed by the president.
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who → publish → president
Thune will be at the convention, however, and will meet with donors and candidates, a person familiar with the matter said.
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person → meet → matter
According to the program outline, speakers will cast Democrats as too far left while touting Trump's domestic record, including the administration's efforts to restrict immigration and lower drug prices and a 2025 tax-and-spending package that eliminated taxes on tips and Social Security benefits.
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that → accord → tips
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is dispatching four Democratic lawmakers to Dallas as part of the party's counter-programming effort.
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Jeffries → dispatch → effort
"Americans are drowning in the failed Republican economy," Jeffries said in a statement.
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Jeffries → drown → statement
"Rather than taking a single step to lower costs, MAGA extremists are partying with their super-rich donors in Dallas.
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extremists → take → Dallas
By holding the event in Texas, Republicans are drawing attention to one of the midterms' highest-profile races: the U.S. Senate contest between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic state Representative James Talarico.
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Republicans → hold → Paxton
