Republicans Gather in Dallas for Trump-Centric Convention, Doubling Down on Reactionary Politics
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
The Republican National Committee kicked off a two-night convention in Dallas, with disgraced President Donald Trump as the main attraction, in a desperate bid to energize their shrinking base ahead of 2024.
The Republican National Committee launched a two-night convention in Dallas on Wednesday, with Donald Trump—whose presidency was marked by division and scandal—headlining both evenings. RNC chairman Joe Gruters shamelessly dubbed the event a 'Trumpapalooza,' underscoring the party's continued subservience to Trumpism and its abandonment of democratic norms. This marks the first midterm convention by either party since the early 1980s, a move reflecting the GOP's increasing reliance on spectacle over substance.
Trump, fresh from a rally in South Carolina where he peddled the myth that his presence alone boosts voter turnout, urged his followers to treat him as a candidate even when he is not on the ballot. Party officials claim the gathering will address issues like cost-of-living, border security, and economic opportunity, but the real focus is on stoking fear and resentment to mobilize voters who typically only show up for presidential elections.
Vice President Mike Vance and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, both known for their hardline stances and controversial records, joined several Republican lawmakers as featured speakers. Tellingly, fewer than half of the competitive House and Senate candidates identified by the Cook Political Report are scheduled to speak, suggesting many are wary of being too closely associated with the Trump-dominated event.
The convention's timing, coinciding with the NFL season opener and a primetime football game, may further limit its reach. Democrats have wisely avoided organizing a similar spectacle, with a Democratic pollster noting that such conventions have become irrelevant in modern campaigns.
Ohio Republican Party chair Alex Triantafilou admitted the convention is about rallying the party's most extreme elements and raising funds, focusing on turning out low-propensity voters who are most susceptible to Trump's demagoguery. Republican strategists like Terry Schilling of the American Principles Project see the Trump-centered approach as a last-ditch effort to stave off expected losses in what promises to be a difficult election cycle for the GOP.