No nominations or formal party business will be happening, as they would at a traditional presidential convention. But the made-for-TV speeches will look much the same.
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Trump hosts Republican midterm 'convention', delivers remarks, while key candidates skip the event
The midterm 'convention' is pitched as a grand affair, but the details get fuzzy: Trump counts on the event to give Republican candidates a boost, delivers his remarks, and the media calls it a convention. But the technicalities matter: some key GOP candidates opt out, and reports clarify that the event isn't really a convention at all. That's not a convention, that's a televised group chat with missing faces. The spin says unity, but the attendance says scheduling conflict. If the goal is to boost candidates, the absence of those very candidates is a logistical wrinkle, not a strategic masterstroke. The official line holds that unity doesn't require presence, and the event is a convention by intent—if not by the rulebook. The stakes? When the headline is the host, but the guests pass, the rally turns into a rerun.
“They call it a convention, but the receipts say it's more like a conference call with half the invitees on mute. Trump shows up, delivers remarks, and counts on this to boost candidates, but the candidates themselves skip the show. That's not a rally, that's a promo for a rerun.”
“It's a convention in spirit, even if it isn't technically a convention. The important thing is unity, and sometimes the best candidates are too busy campaigning to attend. If some skip, that's just logistics. Did I say skip? I meant strategically absent.”
The receipts
President Trump and top GOP leaders are gathering in Dallas for a midterm convention, though some Republicans in competitive races are opting to skip it and campaign in their home districts or states.
The first-ever Republican midterm convention is underway in Dallas, Texas, with President Trump expected to speak both Wednesday and Thursday night. CBS News' Ed O'Keefe reports.
The first-ever Republican midterm convention is underway in Dallas, with control of the House and Senate on the line and Election Day less than eight weeks away. President Trump is set to headline. Ed O'Keefe reports from the event.
Watch live coverage as President Trump delivers the keynote address as the first Republican midterm convention kicks off in Dallas.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.