Some Republicans are planning to skip Trump’s GOP convention

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The Hill's Headlines (PM) - September 2, 2026

The Hill's Headlines (PM) - September 2, 2026

Republicans are cautiously approaching the party’s midterm convention next week as President Trump spirals in polls, with some candidates and lawmakers deciding to skip the gathering all together.  

The dynamic underscores how worried Republicans are about Trump’s own brand ahead of midterm elections in which the party is in danger of losing the House and Senate majorities.

Joshua Blank, research director for the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, said Trump’s poll numbers are bad enough that GOP politicians are considering whether they need to distance themselves from their party leader.   

“Hugging Donald Trump is really good in the Republican primary. It remains to be seen whether it’s helpful in a competitive general election in 2026,” he said.  

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.) are among the top GOP figures expected to attend.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running behind in some polls to Democrat James Talarico in a key Senate contest, will be at the event. Trump has said Paxton will be a main focus.  

A source familiar told The Hill that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) distributed more than 2,000 tickets for the convention and that around 100 members and candidates were confirmed to attend.  

But a Politico survey of more than 70 Republican candidates and lawmakers found that more than half planned to skip the event, including Reps. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.) and Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), who are battling for reelection in vital toss-up districts.  

Several lawmakers also told The Bulwark this week that they had conflicts. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) said her time would be better spent back home, and Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.) said he hadn’t yet made plans to attend. Both are running in toss-up contests in states Trump won in........

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