Republicans put Trump centre stage in unprecedented US midterms gamble

Trump delivers Wednesday’s keynote and returns for Thursday’s finale after Vice President JD Vance speaks. Cabinet members and candidates in closely watched House and Senate races are also on the programme.

US Republicans open an extraordinary midterm convention in Dallas later on Wednesday betting that putting Donald Trump at the centre of their campaign can rescue a party facing grim election forecasts, despite the president’s deeply negative approval ratings.

The two-day gathering, dubbed “Trumpapalooza,” is designed to persuade the Republican leader’s supporters that he is effectively on the ballot on 3 November, when Republicans risk losing the House of Representatives and face a fierce fight to retain the Senate.

“So what I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot,” Trump said recently at a rally in South Carolina. “Just come and vote. It’s so important.”

Decision Desk HQ projects Democrats to win the House 230-205 and the Senate to finish 51-49 in their favour, revising its 50-50 prediction as the outlook continues to worsen for Republicans.

Trump, whose approval rating stood at just 33% in recent polling, will speak on both convention nights at the American Airlines Centre.

His challenge is to mobilise voters personally loyal to him without further alienating independents already souring on his presidency amid inflation woes, gasoline prices topping $4 (€3.40) a gallon and the continuing war with Iran.

“Many Trump supporters only vote when he’s on the ballot,” Matthew Green, a politics professor at the Catholic University of America, told the AFP news agency.

“They’re not diehard Republican voters; they’re diehard Trump voters. So, in that respect, it makes some sense to feature Trump in the hopes of getting those folks to turn out in November.”

But Green was sceptical that asking those supporters to imagine Trump on their ballots could overcome his broader weakness.

“When you’re in the low- to mid-30s, that’s traditionally associated with a very bad midterm for your party,” he said of the 80-year-old’s approval ratings.

Trump show

The gathering is the first Republican national convention held specifically for a midterm election, although Democrats experimented with similar meetings in the 1970s and 1980s.

No candidates will be nominated and no formal party business is planned.

Instead, organisers have constructed what amounts to a two-night television rally touting Trump’s record and Republican candidates.

More than 100 House members and candidates are expected, with over 50 speakers or presentations scheduled each night.

Trump delivers Wednesday’s keynote and returns for Thursday’s finale after Vice President JD Vance speaks. Cabinet members, congressional leaders and candidates in closely watched House and Senate races are also on the programme.

Republicans plan to highlight tax cuts, immigration enforcement, manufacturing and prescription drug prices, while depicting Democrats as dangerously far to the left.

Some Republicans, however, are privately hoping Trump sticks to that script rather than the personal grievances and off-message subjects that regularly dominate his appearances.

Staying home

Not everyone is coming. Numerous lawmakers in competitive races have decided that, less than two months from Election Day, their time is better spent campaigning at home.

Green said vulnerable Republicans have two reasons to keep their distance: Trump’s unpopularity and the cost of losing precious days in their districts.

“If you are a Republican running in a swing district, you probably want to get as much distance from Trump as possible,” he said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has acknowledged the dilemma, saying some members need to remain home because it is a “critical time” immediately before early voting accelerates nationwide.

Republicans who do attend have also been asked to contribute at least $25,000 (€21,000) for tickets and lodging.

The event doubles as a huge fundraising opportunity, with a Trump roundtable priced at $250,000 (€214,000) per person and photographs with the president offered for $88,600 (€76,126).

And even Trump’s promised national television showcase faces an unusually formidable rival: both convention nights coincide with the opening games of the NFL season.

“Spending three or four days away from your district to go to a convention is not a good way to spend your time if you’re facing a tight re-election,” Green added.

Source: www.euronews.com