Republicans are staging a two-day “Trumpapalooza” convention in Dallas to sell Donald Trump as effectively on the November ballot, despite his sinking approval ratings and mounting economic and foreign policy woes. The event aims to rally voters around his record and America First agenda, even as many vulnerable GOP candidates keep their distance from the costly, high-profile gathering.
US Republicans will gather in Dallas, Texas, next week for a two-day convention aimed at convincing voters that Donald Trump is effectively on the ballot in November, even as the deeply unpopular president risks becoming a liability for his party.
The September 9-10 gathering, dubbed “Trumpapalooza” by organisers, is an unusual midterm experiment designed to rally voters around Trump’s record as Republicans face increasingly bleak forecasts for elections that could cost them control of Congress.
Decision Desk HQ projects Democrats to win the House of Representatives 229 seats to 206, while putting the Senate at a knife-edge 50-50.
Republican leaders have nevertheless decided that the answer is more Trump, not less.
“The president’s going to look right into the camera and say, ‘I am on the ballot,’” House Speaker Mike Johnson told supporters in Texas ahead of the gathering.
“Because, even though his name isn’t, his administration, his legacy, the America First agenda is.”
Trump will appear on both days at Dallas’s American Airlines Center, headlining Wednesday’s programme and delivering closing remarks at Thursday’s finale after Vice President JD Vance’s keynote address.
Trump has promised a musical celebration of the party’s “tremendous victories” and “incredible candidates”, describing the event on social media as “the greatest rally of them all”.
Organisers hope to showcase the administration’s tax cuts, immigration policies and other achievements while portraying Democrats as increasingly extreme.
But the strategy carries risks.
Trump’s approval rating has fallen into the low-to-mid 30s amid stubborn inflation, high fuel prices, an unpopular war with Iran and a costly trade dispute with Canada.
More tellingly, many Republican candidates whose races could determine control of Congress appear reluctant to join the celebration.
A Politico survey of more than 70 lawmakers and candidates found that most either did not plan to attend or had yet to commit, while dozens declined to disclose their plans.
Some vulnerable Republicans cited campaign commitments, debates or family obligations, while others privately complained about being asked to contribute at least $25,000 to attend.
Johnson acknowledged that some members need to remain home but said most Republicans would make at least an appearance. He described the event as an opportunity to put the party’s record before a national television audience.
“We have a real opportunity to defy history and win the midterms,” Johnson said in a video promoting the gathering.
There are also doubts over how much of that television audience will actually be watching.
Both convention nights coincide with the opening games of the National Football League (NFL) season, potentially putting Trump’s prime-time appearances in direct competition with one of America’s most popular sporting events.
Republican organisers have rejected suggestions that the event is poorly timed, arguing that it will energise activists, raise money and give candidates valuable national exposure. They expect tens of thousands of people to attend.
The convention is also a major fundraising opportunity. Donors have reportedly been offered a photograph with Trump for $88,600, while access to a roundtable with the president costs $250,000.
For Republicans, however, the bigger gamble is political.
Their November strategy depends on persuading millions of voters who turned out for Trump in 2024 to return to the polls when he is not actually on the ballot, while avoiding alienating independents who have increasingly soured on his presidency.
Veteran Republican political consultant Matt Klink, who has worked on hundreds of federal, state and local campaigns over three decades, said Trump could be both a help and a hindrance in November, depending on the state.
“Some candidates will continue to embrace Trump, while other battleground campaigns are weighing how closely to identify with him amid inflation concerns, the Iran war and his weak approval ratings,” he told AFP.
“Bottom line, Republicans can’t break with Trump because Democrats and the media won’t let them. But they can work to focus on local issues and priorities, and paint opponent Democrats as radical extremists.”