Four takeaways from Trump's speech at first Republican midterms convention

Four takeaways from Trump's speech at first Republican midterms convention

The Republican Party's first midterms convention had all the hallmarks of a traditional presidential election-year gathering: supporters in glittering outfits, a steady stream of candidate speeches, and vendors hawking campaign merchandise.

But unlike a normal convention, no official party business took place in Dallas. Instead, the event functioned as a rally for Republicans trying to increase turnout and avoid losing control of Congress in November.

President Donald Trump, whose hold on the party remains complete, gave a long keynote speech on Wednesday on the opening night of the two-day event. He touched on many of the themes he has revisited repeatedly this year, with a few surprises mixed in.

Here are the main takeaways from his remarks.

The huge arena was packed with steadfast Trump supporters wearing red MAGA gear from his earlier presidential campaigns. A decade after his first White House bid, Trump is still adored by his base, and over the years he has reshaped the party to fit his will.

The old Republican establishment, or what remains of it in the Trump era, was absent. Senator Susan Collins of Maine and other Republicans in competitive races decided not to attend.

The lack of more moderate Republicans was striking and served as a reminder of how much the party has changed.

It also prompted questions about how effective it is to hold an unprecedented midterm convention at all.

The main audience, both inside the arena and watching on television, seemed to be Trump loyalists rather than the moderates and swing voters the Republican Party needs to mobilize in large numbers in November.

Trump's total control of the party raises sharp questions about its future. Specifically, who will succeed him? And more immediately for November's elections, how will it do when his name is not on the ballot?

Trump gave a straightforward answer to the second question on Wednesday night. After warning that the sitting president usually loses the midterms, he told the crowd: "I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot."

The comment was Trump’s way of acknowledging that he remains the party’s strongest turnout driver. It also highlights the challenge Republicans face both in November and in the next presidential election in 2028.

Trump will not appear on the ballot again, and while he can keep campaigning for the party, there is no clear or obvious successor who can energize the base the way Trump can.

In interviews with the BBC, convention attendees often looked ahead to the election two years from now and debated who should succeed Trump. Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were often named as leading contenders.

Trump, though, made it clear in Dallas that he is still in charge and has no intention of stepping out of the spotlight anytime soon.

Earlier on Wednesday, as he left for the convention, Trump admitted that Americans may have to wait longer to see relief from high gas prices.

"I think it's going to take a little bit longer than the midterms," Trump said.

He repeated that point in his speech, saying that short-term economic pain caused by the war in Iran was worth it to stop Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

But that may be a hard message to sell to voters who are already dealing with higher prices.

Polls have consistently shown in recent months that the cost of living is one of the top issues for Americans.

Trump's approval rating has also fallen as the war in Iran has continued. A Financial Times / Focaldata poll released on Sunday showed it had reached a new low, with only 33 percent of registered voters approving of his performance as president.

Many Republican candidates may have wanted a more direct message on tackling the cost of living and bringing the war in Iran to a quick end.

Trump has long floated unconventional ideas at rallies. On Wednesday night, that took the form of an offer to give every adult US citizen $5,000 (£3,700) if Republicans win both chambers of Congress in November.

The only condition, Trump said, was that the money would have to be spent in the US.

He gave no details on how the plan would operate, where the money would come from, or how the US government would track how it was spent. Democrats quickly called it an "empty promise" and others questioned whether the pledge was even legal.

There are nearly 270 million American adults, meaning a $5,000 payment would cost the US government about $1.3 trillion.

Whether the plan was feasible or not seemed secondary. The proposal drew loud applause at the convention, and Trump appeared to enjoy the reaction.