‘Historic Event’: Trump announces Republican midterm convention

Donald Trump has announced that Republicans will stage their first ever national convention ahead of the midterm elections, a move aimed at energizing voters as the party fights to hold its narrow congressional majorities in November. The two-day gathering will take place in Dallas on 9 and 10 September, marking a break from the longstanding tradition of holding national conventions only during presidential election years. Trump confirmed the plans on Tuesday in a Truth Social post, describing Dallas as “One of my favorite places in the World”. “It has never been done before, and will be a truly Historic Event,” he said, promising the convention would feature “Great Entertainment”. Trump first floated the idea for a convention last year, arguing that it would provide an opportunity to showcase his administration’s achievements since returning to the White House in 2024. The convention comes as Republicans seek to defy the historical pattern of the president’s party losing seats in the midterms. Should Democrats win control of either chamber – or both – they would gain the ability to block much of Trump’s legislative agenda and launch investigations into his administration during the final years of his second term. Trump’s national approval ratings are remarkably low, dragged down by negative views of his handling of the US economy. Voters favor Democrats in the race for Congress . …