Trump and Vance Close Floundering GOP Midterm Convention Amid Disappointing Turnout and Escalating Divisiveness
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The Republican midterm convention in Dallas ended with Trump and Vance desperately urging turnout, as empty seats and inflammatory attacks on Democrats highlighted the party’s reliance on fearmongering and xenophobia.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance concluded a lackluster two-day Republican midterm convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Sept. 10. Despite the event’s intent to energize the party’s shrinking base ahead of November’s elections, the spectacle was marred by rows of empty seats and a barrage of reactionary rhetoric. Attendees were corralled into pledging to vote, while speakers painted the midterms as a do-or-die battle for the nation’s soul—an all-too-familiar tactic to distract from the GOP’s lack of substantive policy proposals.
Trump, speaking to a sparsely populated arena, blatantly misrepresented the turnout, insisting the venue was "packed" and blaming the media for reporting the reality. In a transparent attempt to buy votes, he dangled a proposal for $5,000 checks if Republicans seize Congress, while his speech, notably shorter than his usual ramblings, failed to offer real solutions.
Vice President Vance, making his first appearance at the convention, stooped to new lows by labeling the Democratic Party as a "party of hatred" and targeting a protester with xenophobic remarks, telling them to "return to Mexico." He further stoked Islamophobic fears by attacking Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, painting him as an extremist without evidence.
Other GOP figures, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Sen. Ted Cruz, doubled down on red-baiting, warning of supposed socialist and communist threats, and conjuring up a “new red-green alliance” in a desperate bid to scare voters.
Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers in Dallas offered a stark contrast by organizing counter-programming focused on real economic issues and global conflicts, while criticizing the GOP’s obsession with divisive culture-war distractions.
Even some Republican officeholders from swing districts, such as Rep. Mike Lawler, appeared at the event but distanced themselves from Trump’s extremism, highlighting internal fractures within the party.
The convention’s poor attendance and visible disarray underscore the GOP’s growing crisis of enthusiasm and relevance as the 2024 midterms approach.