Trump to headline two-day Republican convention in Dallas amid midterm push

President Donald Trump is scheduled to open the Republican Party's off-year convention in Dallas on Wednesday with a keynote speech and to close the event on Thursday after Vice President JD Vance's address. The party has positioned the convention as a central element of its strategy to influence the November 3 midterm elections, despite Trump not being a candidate on the ballot.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, who will also speak, said the gathering was Trump's idea and described it as "very instructive, very exciting." Trump is reported to have been involved in planning most aspects of the program, and his presence is expected to dominate the two-day schedule.

Republican strategists note that the convention coincides with heavy advertising spending by Trump-aligned groups. MAGA Inc. has allocated $10 million for television and digital ads in a competitive Texas Senate race, while the Securing American Greatness group is running ads that highlight Trump's record.

Democratic leaders expressed skepticism about the convention's impact. Rep. Suzan DelBene of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said, "I’m not sure what they’re doing. They don’t have a message, they have nothing to say. So, I think that will be even more clear."

The event will feature a lineup of Republican officials and allies, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Donald Trump Jr., as well as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Senate candidate Mike Rogers.

Some Republican incumbents have chosen to skip the convention to focus on campaigning in their districts, while others see the Dallas venue as an opportunity to reach a broader audience.

The convention will compete with the start of the NFL season for television viewership, and major broadcast networks have not committed to airing the full program.