Daniel Wolfram
Trump is looking at a dreadful midterm election for the GOP. So he is trying to do something about it with a convention in the heart of Texas. It is not working.
Political conventions have become a pillar of modern American democracy. They can reignite parties and help presidents regain momentum with their political base.
That is perhaps why Donald Trump chose to do his new special midterm convention now. It is, after all, centered around him.
But a lot of GOP candidates are staying away.
Trump-a-palooza in Texas
Tonight and tomorrow at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, the Republican midterm convention will take place. It is a new thing Trump has invented to try and save the midterm election.
The party’s talisman, Donald Trump, is expected to be front and center both nights. The convention’s location was switched from Las Vegas to Texas as the state is in danger of turning blue in the Senate come November.
The convention is being heavily criticized by Trump’s own constituents for being hastily thrown together at the last minute after voting polls continue to predict dire results for the GOP.
“It’s just poor planning,” a person with direct knowledge of the event said. “We’re basically just winging it,” he added to MS NOW.
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Furthermore, over 40 candidates seeking re-election in November declined to attend the event, which means that it is not looking like the success story Trump is hoping for.
The price to attend this event is also very steep. According to Puck, members of Congress are expected to contribute $25,000 to attend.
On the surface, it is a good idea to rally the troops before an important election, but when a lot of candidates do not choose to show up, it raises the question of whether Trump is starting to become a pariah in his own party.
There is no doubt that some candidates who are engaged in close elections all over the country are trying to break away from what the Republican Party has become: a Trump-centric coalition that revolves around him.
Trump will speak both nights
The voter base is eroding. The biggest indication of that is the fact that Trump is not the same kingmaker he used to be.
In his first term, when Trump picked a candidate to back, he or she usually won. That is not the case anymore. Just last month, a Trump-backed candidate in Michigan lost to a guy who had already suspended his campaign.
Regardless, Trump is expected to speak both nights. Other speakers include Vice President JD Vance, Ken Paxton, who is in danger of losing the Senate race to Democrat James Talarico, and United States Attorney General Todd Blanche, who used to be Donald Trump’s personal lawyer.
During the two nights in Dallas, there will be over 100 speakers.
Trump-a-palooza is in danger of being quickly forgotten
There is also a risk that the primary concern constantly on Trump’s mind will become a reality – that he is not getting proper attention for this event from news outlets and the public.
The National Football League (NFL) kicks off its season tonight and tomorrow, and is expected to draw massive ratings. The games are played at the same time as the convention is being held.
Texas Republican strategist Vinny Minchillo agrees that this could become a problem for Trump and the GOP. “Certainly, conflicting with an NFL game early in the season is going to be tough,” Minchillo told The Hill.
For Donald Trump, weak television ratings are even worse than losing the House and Senate in November.
