Trump vows to be at centre of US midterms: Republican convention takeaways
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x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info US President Donald Trump speaks at the Republican convention in Dallas, Wednesday, September 9, 2026 [Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo] By Joseph Stepansky Published On 10 Sep 2026 10 Sep 2026 Dallas, Texas – United States President Donald Trump has delivered a keynote speech on the first night of the Republican midterm convention , putting himself at the centre of the November vote despite not being on the ballot.
The first-of-its-kind event on Wednesday came as Republicans face a challenging midterm election to hold control of the House of Representatives and Senate. Losing either chamber would represent a major check on Trump’s power.
“When I’m on the ticket, Republicans always do very well,” Trump said to a friendly crowd at the American Airlines Center. “But for some reason, when a president wins… even if he’s a really good or great president, they don’t win the midterms.”
“We’re gonna change that,” he said. “So I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot.”
Vice President JD Vance was initially set to headline the first night of the convention, an event typically only held during presidential election cycles. No reason was given for the last-minute change. The convention was set to continue into a second night on Thursday.
Trump’s decision to put himself at the centre of the midterm elections by calling for a midterm convention has been seen as a political gambit, particularly as his approval rating has dipped amid the US-Israel war on Iran .
But Trump on Wednesday promised that he would be a major feature in the final stretch of the race, whether Republican candidates like it or not.
He pointed to about 35 of the most competitive races.
“We can win every one of those races,” he said. “But I’m going to every one of those states for congressman and for senators.”
“We are going to have rallies just like this.”
It might not be welcome news for all candidates in tight races, including several who chose to campaign in their own districts rather than attend the Dallas convention.
Some political insiders have warned that too-close an embrace from Trump could backfire, instead mobilising Democrats who have already turned out in droves throughout the primary season.
Trump also went further, pledging a $5,000 “dividend” to all adult citizens if Republicans maintain control of both chambers. It was unclear if the president could legally make good on the claim.
The war on Iran, which Trump launched alongside Israel on February 28, has become a major political liability heading into the midterms.
On Wednesday, Brent Crude oil topped more than $100 a barrel for the first time in July as the war ground into its seventh month. Polls have suggested widespread disapproval of the war and its knock-on economic effects.
None of the speakers preceding Trump brought up the conflict, which was only featured in a brief video montage in the official programming.
Trump, however, leaned into his handling of the war, saying the US was “winning” and in control of the Strait of Hormuz, despite Tehran continuing to restrict transit in the arterial waterway.
He restated his desire to rename the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s maritime oil trade travelled before the war, “the Trump strait”.
Trump also floated further escalation, including a potential strike on Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site.
The midterm convention serves as an opportunity to introduce Republican candidates to major donors, according to J Matthew Wilson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University.
“Texas is the epicentre for a lot of GOP campaign cash,” he said. “It’s really a fundraising hub for Republicans”.
On Wednesday, an array of Republicans in tight races took the stage, including Ken Paxton, the current Texas Attorney General who has trailed in the polls behind Democratic challenger James Talarico.
A Talarico victory would be the first time a Democrat won statewide office in Texas since 1994.
“He is the most radical Democrat in Texas history, but he’s also the most well-funded, and that’s why today, I need your prayers, your votes, and your support,” Paxton said, referring to Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian.
“If we lose Texas, we lose the common sense revolution. If we lose the common sense revolution, we lose America,” he said.
Trump took particular time to focus on Paxton.
“He may not dress right, he may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen,” Trump said, as he hailed Paxton as the “greatest attorney general in America”.
Other candidates featured on Wednesday included Monica de La Cruz, a Republican facing a tight Democratic challenge from musician Bobby Pulido to represent her border district in Texas, Senator Jon Husted, who is running against former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, and Republican Mike Collins, who is hoping to unseat Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in Georgia.
Pro-Israel Democrat John Fetterman also made a surprise video appearance to introduce Republican Senator Dave McCormick. Neither Fetterman nor McCormick is up for re-election in November.
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