Republicans head to Dallas for first GOP midterm convention: What to know

The Republican National Committee’s (RNC) midterm convention kicks off in Dallas on Wednesday, a first-of-its kind event aimed at helping Republicans buck President Trump’s low approval numbers and defy historical midterm trends. 

The two-day event, billed by some as a “Trump-a-palooza,” will host dozens of top speakers from the administration and Republican leadership, as well as candidates in tough midterm races. But Republicans have mixed feelings about the event, with some citing concerns about cost, timing and the potential political risk of being closely tied to the president weeks ahead of the election. 

Meanwhile, Democrats are embracing the convention, hopeful that the Trump-focused event helps them draw a contrast with Republicans and get a midterm boost amid voter frustration with the president and the party in power. 

Here’s what to know as the convention begins: 

Midterm convention makes history

This week’s Dallas event marks the GOP’s first-ever midterm convention, interrupting the typical schedule of holding one every four years to mark the presidential election. 

Unlike the 2024 presidential convention, when Republicans descended on Milwaukee to nominate Trump as the party’s White House pick, there’s no such official business on the docket for this two-day event. 

RNC Chair Joe Greuters has cast the program as “a first-of-its-kind midterm convention that will show the American people exactly what’s at stake in November.” The event’s speakers are expected to focus on the issues shaping the midterms, from the economy and immigration to Trump’s moves abroad. 

Trump, who has long floated the idea of a midterm convention, has asked his MAGA base to “pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot” in November, signaling his intent to make the midterms another test of his political power — and to use the convention as a way of juicing voter turnout. 

Trump, Vance to keynote

Trump, who was initially slated to close out the last night of the convention, will now address the convention crowd on both days, underscoring that........

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