Trump announces Republican midterm convention in Dallas

President Donald Trump said Republicans will hold their first national convention before a midterm election, a two-day Dallas gathering aimed at energizing voters as the party tries to protect narrow congressional majorities in November.

The convention is scheduled for Sept. 9 and 10 at the American Airlines Center, according to CBS News. Trump announced the plan Tuesday on Truth Social, calling Dallas “One of my favorite places in the World” and saying the event would be unprecedented.

“BIG NEWS! For the first time ever, the Republican Party will hold a MIDTERM CONVENTION,” Trump wrote. “It has never been done before, and will be a truly Historic Event.” He also promised “Great Entertainment” and described the event as “a RALLY like none other.”

The gathering breaks with the modern practice of holding major national party conventions during presidential election years. The Republican National Committee began preparing for the move earlier this year, voting in January to amend procedures built around the party’s four-year presidential nominating conventions. The last time Republicans held a convention in Dallas was 1984, CBS News reported.

Trump has discussed the idea since last year, saying Republicans could use such an event “to show the great things we have done since the Presidential Election of 2024.” In his latest posts, he pointed to policies including “no tax on tips,” described by Al Jazeera as allowing a tax deduction of up to $25,000 for tips, and deregulation of fossil fuels in pursuit of “energy dominance.”

“Oil Prices are dropping sharply, even as we Denuclearize Iran,” Trump wrote. “We are delivering on the promises that politicians talked about for decades, but never got done.”

Republicans are trying to defy the usual midterm pattern, in which the president’s party often loses seats. They hold slim majorities in the House and Senate, and if Democrats win either chamber, they could block much of Trump’s agenda and investigate his administration during the final two years of his term.

Trump remains highly influential with the Republican base, but several reports said his national approval ratings are weak. Al Jazeera cited a Tuesday poll from The Economist and YouGov showing 58 percent of U.S. respondents disapproved of his job performance. The Guardian reported that voters favor Democrats in the congressional race and that negative views of Trump’s handling of the economy have weighed on his approval.

Some Republicans also face races in areas where Trump is unpopular or where his policies, including the war in Iran and his administration’s immigration crackdown, have divided residents, The Guardian reported. Al Jazeera said some critics worry a midterm convention could pull resources away from battlegrounds in the closing stretch of the campaign.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson welcomed the decision. “The Republican National Committee’s decision to bring its first-ever midterm convention to Dallas is a tremendous honor,” he said in a statement. Johnson, who chairs the Republican Mayors Association, said he was “confident that this unprecedented convention will energize our party, strengthen the conservative movement, and help build momentum for a successful 2026 election.”

Holding the convention in Texas will also draw attention to one of the year’s most closely watched Senate races. Democratic nominee James Talarico, a state representative and Presbyterian seminarian, is running against Republican nominee Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general. Paxton defeated longtime Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary with Trump’s endorsement.

Democrats have not won a statewide race in Texas in decades, but The Guardian said a New York Times/Siena poll released this week showed the race as a toss-up. CBS News reported that Republican Senate leaders fear Paxton’s history of scandals — including an extramarital affair, an impeachment and a securities fraud case that did not lead to a conviction — could hurt his candidacy and force the party to spend heavily in Texas.

The Dallas convention also highlights the aftereffects of Trump’s push for mid-decade redistricting that began in Texas, an effort aimed at helping Republicans win more seats this fall.

The Democratic National Committee considered a midterm gathering but decided against it. The Guardian reported that Democrats said they would rather spend resources on local and state infrastructure. The party did hold midterm conferences in the 1970s and 1980s, though Al Jazeera reported they faded after 1982 amid criticism that they wasted resources.