The Guardian
· collected 2026-09-10 · by Adam Gabbatt in Dallas, Texas
Donald Trump pledged to pay every adult citizen in the US $5,000 if Republicans retain the House and Senate in the midterm elections, during a marathon speech at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas in which the president assailed Democrats as “radical” and defended his unpopular war in Iran.
asserted
president → pledge → Iran
The outlandish proposal, which would cost over $1tn, immediately raised ethical concerns.
asserted
which → cost → concerns
But it laid bare the extent of the Republicans’ concern about their prospects in the pivotal November elections.
asserted
it → lay → elections
“If the Republicans win, you win with us, and you get $5,000,” Trump told a roaring crowd, during a nearly two-hour long speech in which he also urged voters to “pretend that I’m on the ballot” – despite his historic unpopularity causing many vulnerable Republican politicians to avoid the event.
asserted
politicians → win → event
Surrounded by supporters waving American flag placards, Trump claimed, without evidence, that his second term had been “the most successful two years, financially and every other way, in the history of the presidency”, but devoted much of his speech to fearmongering about what would happen should Democrats win the House or the Senate for the final two years of his presidency.
asserted
Democrats → surround → presidency
“There is a crazy little sick cloud over our country,” Trump said.
asserted
Trump → be → country
“We will defeat communism in America.”
asserted
We → defeat → America
The president and Republicans are gambling that throwing a midterm convention – the first the GOP has ever held – can buoy the party, which is predicted to lose control of the House.
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which → gamble → House
Yet, Trump’s deep unpopularity among Americans – his approval rating is hovering at about 38% – meant many Republican candidates running in competitive races skipped the two-day confab entirely.
asserted
candidates → hover → confab
Even so, Trump’s speech made it clear he thinks he will be the deciding factor in November.
asserted
he → make → November
Noting that the party which holds the White House traditionally struggles in the midterm elections, Trump said: “We’ve got to change that, because we have something going that’s so good.
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that → note → something
“If we lose, you’re going to lose your border, you’re going to lose your tax cuts, you’re going to lose your safety and security, you’re going to lose your wealth.
asserted
you → lose → wealth
Our country is going through hell – we will be going through hell, just like we did, just two years ago,” he said.
asserted
he → go → hell
The buildup to the midterm convention had somewhat of a chaotic air.
asserted
buildup → have → air
Trump was initially scheduled to speak on the second night, before the Republican National Committee announced that he would deliver the keynote on Wednesday, and instead give closing remarks on Thursday after his vice-president JD Vance speaks.
asserted
president → schedule → Thursday
Trump made several references to the war in Iran, warning Tehran “not to get cute” or the US “will have to hit them very hard”.
asserted
US → make → them
But he also appeared to acknowledge the economic pain caused by the soaring price of oil.
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he → appear → oil
Trump re-
asserted
Trump → re → ?
enacted the way he told his economic advisors that the US needed to start the conflict because Iran was “two, maybe three weeks away from having a nuclear weapon”.
asserted
Iran → enact → weapon
“I hate to do this to you,” he said he told them, noting the economy had been doing well.
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economy → hate → them
Compared with the four-day traditional convention in Milwaukee two years ago, the first day felt muted.
asserted
day → compare → Milwaukee
Visible, except to Trump, who claimed, wrongly, that the arena was full.
asserted
arena → claim → Trump
“Not only is this packed but you have an equal number of people standing outside,” Trump declared.
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Trump → have → people
This was not observed by Guardian reporters.
asserted
This → observe → reporters
The RNC had announced in mid-August that Americans could apply for tickets to attend the event, suggesting that applicants would enter a lottery and only a lucky few would be granted access.
uncertain
few → announce → access
Yet on Wednesday, with the convention underway, applications for tickets were instantly being granted on an RNC sign-up page.
asserted
applications → grant → page
Trump himself, however, appeared energized in his call to action on the first night, cracking jokes, including at the expense of Ken Paxton, his handpicked candidate for Senate in Texas who won a primary against the incumbent John Cornyn earlier this year.
asserted
who → appear → incumbent
“He may not dress right.
uncertain
He → dress → ?
He may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen,” Trump said of Paxton.
uncertain
Trump → talk → Paxton
“But you know what he is?
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he → know → ?
He’s the greatest attorney general in America.”
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He → ’ → America
Trump spent several minutes attacking Democrats, including Paxton’s opponent, James Talarico, who Trump mocked as a “weird looking dude” as well as the former Republican governor Roy Cooper in North Carolina, who is now running for Senate, and Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan.
asserted
who → spend → Michigan
In a statement, Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, accused Republicans of holding a “bizarre dog-and-pony show” to placate the president’s “fragile ego”.
asserted
Martin → accuse → ego
“Tonight only confirmed that the president is a lame duck failure who is dragging his party toward defeat,” Martin said.
asserted
Martin → confirm → defeat
The Republicans’ unusual midterm convention featurs 12 hours of programming across two nights.
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convention → featur → nights
On Wednesday, the speaker lineup featured Trump loyalists and candidates, but showmanship remained at the center of the agenda.
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showmanship → feature → agenda
Byron Donalds, a rising star in the party who is running for governor of Florida, and Mehmet Oz and Scott Bessent, two of Trump’s cabinet secretaries, were among those to take the stage, yet the president, a UFC fan, decided he would be introduced by two fighters, the middleweight Bo Nickal and Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje, a lightweight.
asserted
he → rise → fighters
Most speakers only got five minutes.
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speakers → get → minutes
Nickal and Gaethje, who both fought at the UFC 250 event on the White House Lawn in June, got 10.
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who → fight → 10
Gaethje told the crowd he had earned his “Highlight” nickname when he knocked out his first opponent very quickly in 2016, before linking himself to the 80-year-old Trump.
asserted
he → tell → Trump
…and 6 more, not listed.
