Trump says Republicans will hold midterm convention in Dallas
The September event would promote Trump’s second-term record weeks before elections that could decide control of Congress.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
President Donald Trump said Republicans will hold a midterm convention in Dallas on September 9 and 10, an unusual effort to put his second-term record at the center of the 2026 congressional campaign. The plan comes less than five months before the November 3 elections, when the party’s narrow control of Congress is at stake.
Trump announced the event Tuesday on Truth Social, calling it the first Republican midterm convention and saying it would be a “Historic Event.” He described the gathering as a showcase for his administration’s accomplishments and said it would include entertainment, though he did not provide details.
According to Al Jazeera, the idea has been under discussion among Republican officials for months. Trump promoted a similar concept on social media in September, saying a midterm rally could highlight what Republicans had done since the 2024 presidential election.
Trump pointed to policies he wants featured at the Dallas event, including a tax deduction of up to $25,000 for tips and his administration’s push to loosen fossil fuel regulations under the banner of “energy dominance.” In his Truth Social post, he also said oil prices were falling while his administration was working to “Denuclearize Iran.”
The convention would give Trump a central stage at a politically sensitive point in the race. A poll published Tuesday by The Economist and YouGov found that 58 percent of US respondents disapproved of his job performance.
Al Jazeera reported that some critics, including people within the party, worry a midterm convention could pull money, attention and staff away from competitive races during the campaign’s final stretch. Party conventions are usually tied to presidential elections, when parties formally rally behind a nominee.
The Republican National Committee approved a rule in January allowing the midterm event to go ahead, according to Al Jazeera. Democrats considered reviving their own midterm convention but dropped the idea in March, the outlet reported. Democratic gatherings of that kind faded after 1982, when party leaders criticized them as a poor use of resources.
The midterms are expected to be read as a national judgment on Trump’s second term, even though he is not on the ballot. Al Jazeera reported that experts have said Trump has worked to nationalize the 2026 contests by putting himself at the center of the campaign and seeking greater federal influence over state election administration.
Republicans now hold slim majorities in both the House and Senate. If Democrats take either chamber, Trump could face new barriers to his legislative agenda during the final two years of his term.
Trump has also warned Republicans that losing Congress could expose him to another impeachment. In January, he told party members that Democrats would “find a reason” to impeach him if Republicans lost the midterms, according to Al Jazeera. Trump was impeached twice during his first term.
Democrats have already mocked the Dallas plan. A campaign account associated with House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries posted on X after Trump’s announcement, “Will Vanilla Ice be performing?”
The choice of Texas has also drawn attention because the state may host a more competitive Senate race than usual. Al Jazeera reported that Democratic state Representative James Talarico is running against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for an open Senate seat after the Republican incumbent lost a May primary with Trump’s support.
Texas state Representative Cassandra Garcia Hernandez wrote on X that the convention showed national and state Republicans were worried about Texas. “The battleground for our nation runs through Texas,” she said.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.