Trump Convenes the First Midterm Convention in Modern History and at Least 45 House Republicans Say They Are Not Coming — the Ticket Is $25,000, the Nickname Is "Trumpapalooza," and the Vice President's Answer Is "We Don't Need a Congressman in a Tight Race to Be There"
The Republican National Committee has scheduled a two-day midterm convention in Dallas for September 9 and 10, 2026 — an event with no real precedent in modern American politics, informally called "Trumpapalooza" inside the party. In the first days of September, Politico surveyed more than 70 House Republicans and at least 45 said they would not attend; NOTUS separately found swing-state members skipping it. Dozens more were undecided. The stated reasons vary: House members are being asked to contribute $25,000 apiece, and many said they had district events, fundraisers, or 25th-anniversary September 11 commemorations already on the calendar. The unstated one is the calendar itself — the convention lands eight weeks before a midterm in which the president's approval rating hit record lows in August, and members in competitive seats have to decide whether standing next to him on a Dallas stage helps. Speaker Mike Johnson said some members simply need to be in their districts. Vice President JD Vance told reporters the ticket does not need marginal members in the room. Sen. Mike Rounds, up for reelection in South Dakota, said he would be home talking to constituents. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who is going, said the party's record "is just not getting out." Rep. Tim Burchett said he had just gotten the bill.
“The Democrats are the party of hatred. They're the party that despises America and the people who built it. … I'm not asking anybody to agree with me on every single issue.”