Republicans Bet on 30,000-Person Dallas Convention as Trump's 33% Approval Tests Midterm Strategy
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Aug 24
Republicans Bet on 30,000-Person Dallas Convention as Trump's 33% Approval Tests Midterm Strategy
3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Aug 24
Summary
Sept. 9-10 is when Republicans plan to use a rare midterm convention in Dallas to revive a faltering campaign message and protect their congressional majorities before November.
Trump will headline the event despite a 33% approval rating, with organizers framing his tax cuts and immigration agenda as the party’s answer to voter anger over living costs and the Iran war.
$42 million has already been raised to fully fund the gathering, and organizers expect about 30,000 attendees, with JD Vance, Cabinet members and competitive-race candidates slated to appear.
Three battleground campaigns said they had not been told whether their candidates would speak, and Michigan Rep. Tom Barrett plans to skip Dallas to stay in his district, underscoring unease about tying vulnerable candidates too closely to Trump.
For the GOP, the convention is both a fundraising showcase and a political gamble: leaders see their best chance to energize conservatives, while skeptics doubt a two-day spectacle will sway independents or ease cost-of-living concerns.