Empty seats and instant ticket approvals mark GOP midterm convention

Close-race candidates skip Dallas event as Trump approval hovers near 38%

Visible empty seats, instant ticket approvals and a late schedule update marked the first day of the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, the first such convention the party has held.

President Donald Trump was initially scheduled to speak on the second night before his appearance was moved to Wednesday. The change did not appear on the convention schedule until Wednesday afternoon, The Guardian reported.

The Guardian described signs of limited enthusiasm among rank-and-file Republicans. Compared with the four-day traditional convention in Milwaukee two years earlier, the first day in Dallas had no long crowds waiting to enter and no extended waits for food or bathrooms. Swathes of empty seats remained visible throughout Trump’s speech.

Trump offered a different account of attendance. “Not only is this packed but you have an equal number of people standing outside,” he said. Guardian reporters said they did not observe an equal number of people outside.

The RNC had announced in mid-August that Americans could apply for tickets and suggested applicants would enter a lottery in which only a lucky few would receive access. On Wednesday, after the convention had begun, an RNC sign-up page was instantly approving ticket applications.

The Guardian reported that Republicans were predicted to lose control of the House. Trump’s approval rating hovered at about 38%, and the newspaper attributed the absence of many Republican candidates in close races to his unpopularity.

Trump presented himself as a deciding factor in November. He acknowledged that the party holding the White House traditionally struggles in midterm elections and said, “We’ve got to change that, because we have something going that’s so good.”

“So I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” Trump said. “Just one more time. Because if we lose, you’re going to lose your border, you’re going to lose your tax cuts, you’re going to lose your safety and security, you’re going to lose your wealth. Our country is going through hell – we will be going through hell, just like we did, just two years ago.”

During the nearly two-hour address, which The Guardian described as historically long for a convention speech, Trump pledged that every adult U.S. citizen would receive a $5,000 dividend if Republicans retained both the House and Senate. “If the Republicans win, you win with us, and you get $5,000,” he said, attributing the proposed payment to “our tremendous strength and success economically.” The Guardian reported that the pledge almost immediately raised ethical concerns.

Trump claimed without evidence that his second term had been “the most successful two years, financially and every other way, in the history of the presidency.” He called Democrats “radical communists,” warned about what would happen if they won the House or Senate and said, “There is a crazy little sick cloud over our country. We will defeat communism in America.” He also defended his administration’s war in Iran, which The Guardian described as unpopular.

Trump attacked Democratic opponents James Talarico, a Texas Senate candidate facing Ken Paxton, and Roy Cooper, the former Republican governor of North Carolina who is now running for Senate. Paxton, Trump’s handpicked candidate, defeated incumbent John Cornyn in a Republican primary earlier in the year.

“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 of Paxton. “But you know what he is? He’s the greatest attorney general in America.”

The speaker lineup included Trump allies and candidates. Byron Donalds, who is running for governor of Florida, spoke, as did Mehmet Oz and Scott Bessent, two Trump cabinet secretaries.

Most speakers received five minutes. Middleweight Bo Nickal and lightweight Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje, who introduced Trump, each received 10 minutes. Both had fought at the UFC 250 event on the White House Lawn in June.

Gaethje told the crowd that he earned his “Highlight” nickname by quickly knocking out his first opponent in 2016. He then linked that experience to the 80-year-old Trump and the midterm campaign.

“One mistake I’ve made in my career was becoming complacent while I was on a winning streak and forgetting how unforgiving my sport would be,” Gaethje said. “If we are not just as passionate about voting and winning in these midterms as we were in the last presidential election, then we risk being knocked out and losing all the momentum we have been fighting for.”

Republicans had said the convention would focus on “lowering costs, securing our border, making our communities safer, and putting American workers and families first.” The Guardian reported that speaker after speaker instead attacked Democrats over alleged support for transgender rights and said the speeches suggested that Republicans intended to put culture wars near the front of their campaign as November approached.

Trump danced at the end of his Sept. 9 speech. He was scheduled to speak again Thursday and said the second address would be much shorter. Vice President JD Vance was expected to deliver the keynote.