With the bang of a gavel and the words, “without objection, the 2024 Republican National Convention stands adjourned,” the GOP’s big four-day show wrapped up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin two summers ago. That’s usually how the quadrennial event concludes, with Republicans reassembling in four years’ time ahead of the next presidential election.
Trump’s Unconventional Move
In a break with tradition, Donald Trump has summoned the Republican faithful to a two-day confab billed as the 2026 Republican Midterm Convention late this summer at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Delegates will spend September 9 and 10 cheering lustily as the GOP rolls out its messaging for the November 3 midterm elections.
Despite the name “convention,” the event won’t select a presidential nominee or adopt a party platform. It will mostly be a high-profile media event designed to gin up votes for GOP candidates around the country.
Historical Precedent
The 1974 Conference on Democratic Policy and Organization drew 2,000 delegates in Kansas City; the 1978 Democratic Midterm Conference attracted the party’s Who’s Who, including incumbent President Jimmy Carter; and 1982’s Democratic Midterm Conference in Philadelphia saw a cavalcade of would-be 1984 presidential hopefuls dropping by.
However, the practice died off after that last shindig, when the Democratic National Committee determined that putting on such extravagant shows was too costly and produced too few tangible results.
Reactions to Trump’s Move
“This reeks of desperation,” a Republican strategist in Washington said. “The folks at the White House can read polls just as well as the rest of us. Trump’s sagging approval is seriously dragging down Republicans all around the country.
Trump’s approval rating stands at 40.3%, per the latest aggregate data from RealClear Polling. Meanwhile, 57.1% disapprove – a gap of -16.8%, just shy of his nadir of -19%, reached on May 26 of this year.
Not so fast, say other Republicans. “This is a brilliant maneuver,” a national pollster explained. “Trump simply bypasses the liberal news media, which are now openly in the tank for Democrats, and delivers the Republican message directly to the voters.
Original reporting: FITSNews — read the source article.
