For the first time ever, Republicans are holding a national convention in the middle of a midterm election year. The RNC’s two-day event kicks off Wednesday in Dallas.
It’s an idea spearheaded by President Donald Trump to rally Republican voters ahead of November.
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Some Republicans are skipping the convention to campaign back home because of other commitments or the steep cost of attending. But the lineup in Dallas includes some of the party’s biggest names.
Trump will deliver the keynote address Wednesday night, and Vice President JD Vance will be the keynote speaker Thursday. Other big-name speakers include Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Attorney General Todd Blanche and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Trump will return to the stage to close out the convention Thursday night.
Who’s going
Other Republican leaders will be there as well, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
The convention, which some have dubbed “Trump-a-palooza,” will also feature some of this year’s most notable candidates, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who’s running for U.S. Senate. Some potential 2028 presidential nominees, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, will also be there.
In all, more than 100 Republican House members and candidates are expected at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, a person familiar with the event told The Associated Press. House members were asked to pay $25,000 for tickets and lodging, but the fee was waived for some of the party’s most vulnerable incumbents on November’s ballot, according to Axios.
But some Republicans attending the convention are also expressing concerns about the event and its potential impact heading into November.
“The vibes are very bad,” a Republican lobbyist close to the White House who attended an RNC donor event in Dallas told Politico Playbook.
Another person close to the White House told Playbook the best-case scenario may be that the convention doesn’t attract much attention.
“My only hope is that no one watches it since it’s competing versus NFL opening games,” the person said.
Not your average convention
This won’t look quite like the presidential conventions we’re used to. There are no presidential nominations to hand out, and the event is open to the public.
Organizers say there will be more than 50 speakers or presentations each night, including everyday Americans who say will talk about how Trump’s policies have benefited them.
Trump has promised plenty of entertainment — including a balloon drop to close things out. And in a post on social media Tuesday, he pushed back on reports of limited interest in the event, saying it’s sold out.
“Everybody wants to be there, but we’re really asking only those Candidates that are in tight Races, a little up, a little down, or even, to speak,” Trump wrote. “We want to save the ‘stage’ for them. We don’t need people who are up 45 points, and have been in office for 30 years, as much as we love them all.”
