The United States Republican Party – and its talisman President Donald Trump – is descending on Dallas, Texas, to host a rare convention before the midterm elections in November. Usually reserved for presidential election cycles, Trump’s call to hold the high-cost event before the November 3 midterm vote has underscored both the president’s unorthodox campaign style and the urgency of the political moment for his Republican Party. Trump’s approval rating has tanked in the lead-up to the midterm vote, with polls pointing to a panoply of factors, most notably the US-Israel war on Iran and its knock-on economic effects for US consumers.
The lack of enthusiasm threatens what are already considered long-shot odds in the Republicans’ effort to hold on to control of the House of Representatives. Shifting public opinion has also put control of the Senate increasingly in play, although Democrats still face an uphill battle to pull off an upset. A loss of control in either chamber would serve as a major check on Trump’s authority in the final two years of his second term.
But not all Republicans have bought into Trump and the party’s claims that the convention will spur voter turnout. Several, particularly those in the tightest races, have kept the event at arm’s length amid concerns that associating with the president could only further mobilise his detractors. The convention will be hosted at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday, September 9 and Thursday, September 10.
The event is expected to run from 3pm to 9pm Central Time (20:00 to ) on both days. Trump is scheduled to speak on both nights, including a Wednesday address and the convention’s closing keynote on Thursday from 8pm to 9pm Central Time (01:00 to on Friday). US Vice President JD Vance will close out night one with a speech.
The Republican National Committee (RNC), the party’s official organising body, has billed the Dallas midterm convention as a “first in American political history”. Both Democratic and Republican national conventions have historically capped the primary season before a presidential election. The emphasis has historically been on the presidential nomination process during the largely ceremonial events.
During those conventions, so-called “delegates” from every state pledge their votes for a candidate based on the primary election outcome from their home state. A candidate who secures the required majority of delegates formally becomes the party’s presidential nominee at the convention. Parties also typically hold several smaller meetings surrounding the event to establish and release the party’s official platform.
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