Trump Says GOP Midterm Convention Will Be in Dallas

President Trump is trying something no modern president has: a full-on party convention in a midterm year. The president on Tuesday announced Republicans will gather in Dallas Sept. 9–10 for what he billed on Truth Social as a "truly Historic Event," as the GOP attempts to boost voter turnout and hang on to its House and Senate majorities in 2026. Trump says the gathering will showcase what he calls a "Great American comeback," pointing to tax cuts, tighter border policies, and "lower costs," even as inflation sits at a three-year high, Politico reports. "We will also have lots of Great Entertainment," Trump wrote. "It will be a RALLY like none other!"

The Republican National Committee quietly cleared the way for the move in January by changing its rules to allow a midterm convention; Democrats had considered a similar event but abandoned the idea in March. The Texas setting doubles as a political battlefield: The GOP Senate nominee, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, is facing a serious challenge from Democrat James Talarico. The announcement also ends months of uncertainty for Republican campaigns and donors who'd been waiting on details.

Democrats said Republicans were holding a political "circus" while Texans were worried about the cost of living, the Dallas Morning News reports. "Of course, they're having it here," said Kendall Scudder, chairman of the state Democratic Party. "Texas is absolutely in play and they are terrified that they're about to lose here." Forbes notes that the convention date clashes with the NFL's kickoff day. The kickoff game was rescheduled in 2008 because of the Republican convention, and in 2012 to avoid a clash with the Democratic convention, but it's not clear whether the league will oblige for a midterm convention.