Republicans kick off ‘midterm convention’ to overcome Trump unpopularity

Republicans will gather in Texas on Wednesday for a rare “midterm convention”, as they attempt to convince Americans to vote for a party led by a deeply unpopular president who has overseen inflation and led the US into an increasingly unpopular war.Donald Trump will dominate the two-day convention, appearing both nights as the GOP works to cling to control of the House of Representatives in November. Republicans plan to put the president at the center of the event, a bold strategy given his approval rating is hovering at about 38%, while accusing the Democratic Party of being socialist and out of touch with Americans.However, in a sign of Trump’s toxicity, some vulnerable Republicans have said they will not attend the Dallas event: risking the potential ire of the president, but avoiding a public association with a deeply unpopular leader.Less than two months out from the midterm elections, the Republican Party faces a serious battle to retain its slender control of the House, while Democrats are increasingly hopeful they could pick up Senate seats. Winning either would put the Democratic Party in position to stymie Trump’s aims during his final two years in office.The convention represents perhaps Republicans’ final opportunity to make a large-scale, high-profile pitch to Americans. Joe Gruters, the chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), which is organizing the convention, said the program would attempt to demonstrate how Republicans are “lowering costs, securing our border, making our communities safer, and putting American workers and families first”.Whether voters buy that is a different matter, given costs, including gas prices, have risen during Trump’s presidency. Forecasters give Republicans a slim chance of holding on to the House, in particular, and some members of Congress have been keen to distance themselves from the event. Several Republican members of Congress said they will skip it entirely.Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, said a contingent of Democrats would also be in Dallas during the convention to “counter the falsehoods and extremism” on display in American Airlines Center.Republicans facing close re-election bids have proved particularly likely to dodge the event, mindful that their Democratic opponents are looking for any opportunity to tie them to Trump. Tom Barrett, facing a close re-election fight in Michigan, and Zach Nunn, locked in a tight race in Iowa, are among those who have said they won’t be in Texas, and on Thursday Axios reported that “only about 100 lawmakers and candidates are expected to attend.”As well as risking association with Trump, there was the issue of cost. Multiple reports have suggested that House Republicans were being asked to donate at least $25,000 to the party to get a ticket.Among the few who are confirmed to be attending are JD Vance and the former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, along with Ken Paxton, the Republican candidate for Senate in Texas who is polling neck-and-neck with Democrat James Talarico in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988.There are signs too, that enthusiasm is low among the rank and file. The RNC announced in mid-August that Americans could apply for tickets to attend the event, suggesting that applicants would enter a lottery, and only a lucky few would be granted access.Yet on Friday, days before the event was due to begin, applications for tickets were instantly being granted on an RNC sign-up page, suggesting the event was not yet at capacity.Should the attendance be lacklustre, it will be a clear indictment of Trump himself, given RNC marketing materials in the buildup had made it clear it was the president’s show. Indeed, some messages billed the event as “Trump’s midterm convention” – ditching the term ‘Republican’ altogether – while every press release has been at pains to stress Trump will be there both nights.Trump himself was bullish about the convention in a podcast interview last week, telling the Texas lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick: “It’s going to be big stuff.”