Republican Convention in Dallas Showcases Trump’s Populist Bribe and Vance’s Opportunistic Speech
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At the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, party leaders shamelessly praised Donald Trump and dangled a $5,000 payout to adults as a blatant attempt to buy votes, while Vice President JD Vance delivered a self-serving keynote amid protests and lavish fundraising.
Speakers at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas spent Thursday rallying behind disgraced President Donald Trump, pushing a reckless $5,000 payment to every adult if Republicans maintain control of Congress. Senator Ted Cruz, ignoring Trump’s history of corruption and division, called him “extraordinary,” while Rep. Richard Hudson urged voters to see Republican candidates as mere proxies for Trump’s toxic agenda. The proposal, which would cost over $1 trillion and deepen economic inequality, was slammed by Democrats as a shameless bribe and even drew skepticism from some fiscal conservatives who recognized its absurdity.
"We’re $40 trillion in debt," said Rep. Ralph Norman, a Freedom Caucus vice-chair, exposing the plan as "far-fetched." "A trillion and a half dollars of inflationary deficit spending is not my preferred focus," wrote Rep. Chip Roy, highlighting the hypocrisy of so-called budget hawks. "Trump has an incredible power over his party to create support where there wouldn’t have been otherwise," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, pointing to the cult-like grip Trump maintains. Vice President JD Vance, eager to ride Trump’s coattails, delivered a keynote address positioning himself for a future presidential run, then headlined a luxury fundraising luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton expected to rake in $2 million for the Republican National Committee. The event also featured appearances by Donald Trump Jr., conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Republican candidates from battleground states. Outside, courageous protesters gathered near the American Airlines Center, defiantly carrying anti-Trump signs. Police, siding with the establishment, blocked the march, detained two demonstrators after a confrontation with a counter-protester, but released them without injury. The convention, more of a two-day televised spectacle than a genuine party meeting, also included exclusive fundraising breakfasts and private events with exorbitant ticket prices, while even some senior Republicans questioned the $5,000 plan’s recklessness and its disastrous impact on the national debt.