Trump Claims Midterm Convention is Sellout
Despite GOP Attempts to Give Tickets Away
Capitol Inside
September 9, 2026
President Donald Trump set the tone for the GOP's inaugural midterm convention when he claimed on Tuesday that the event at the NBA arena in Dallas had been sold out at the same time the Republicans were scrambling frantically to fill seats by giving thousands of tickets away.
As party officials pondered the possibility of paying people to show up at the rally that others are shelling out $25,000 or more to attend, the president sought to dispel speculation the number of no-shows among the party's candidates in the closest races would be higher than the count of those who are there.
"Everybody wants to be there, but we’re really asking only those Candidates that are in tight Races, a little up, a little down, or even, to speak," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "We want to save the 'stage' for them. We don’t need people who are up 45 points, and have been in office for 30 years, as much as we love them all!"
The president's comments may seemed like a back-handed swipe at U.S. Senator Susan Collins of Maine, the chamber's longest-serving Republican woman, who has said she doesn't plan to be at the midterm rally that begins on Wednesday afternoon for a two-day run. Collins has been a member of the Senate for more than 29 years. But Collins hasn't been leading fall Democrat Troy Jackson by any amount based on polling that's shown the challenger up by 4 points on average in Maine.
The list of candidates in swing races who plan to skip the so-called convention in Dallas this week includes Republican U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska and Senate contenders Ashley Hinson of Iowa and Chris Sununu the former governor in New Hampshire. Sununu said he couldn't make it to the event that opens on Wednesday because the primary election in his state had taken place on Tuesday.
CBS News reported on Wednesday that dozens of other Republicans in competitive contests for Congress and other offices won't be on hand for Trump's Texas rally. The vast majority of the Republicans who are snubbing the RNC and the president are gambling that they'd be better off to avoid the appearance of a close association with a president who's been historically unpopular for months and done nothing to get his record low approval marks up. That's especially true for the GOP's candidates in swing districts where votes from independents and moderates are prerequisites for winning.
The event that the Republican National Committee has dubbed Trump-a-palooza is designed to light a fire under a base that's been lethargic and ambivalent during the president's second term. But Republicans from the MAGA wing aren't the voters for whom Trump and the RNC should be most concerned - and they run the risk of turning off moderates who will determine the victors in the tightest contests with a Dallas rally that's tailored for the hard right.
Governor Greg Abbott and U.S. Senate aspirant Ken Paxton drew plum slots on Tuesday in the lineup for the GOP's landmark midterm convention in Dallas where the Republicans in the two hottest Texas races are slated to appear during the five o'clock news hour on separate days.
The Republican National Committee appears to be planning some surprises for the event that gets under way midway through Wednesday afternoon when a pair of Texas siblings - U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz and congressional hopeful Carlos De La Cruz - will be the first two actual candidates to speak.
The schedule features 13 speaking slots that are reserved for "everyday Americans" who are not identified beyond subjects they will presumably address such as law enforcement, medicine, manufacturing, life in the working class, mothers, fathers and veterans. The mystery cast appears designed to give the Republicans a chance to mitigate the novel event's portrayal by Texas Senate candidate James Talarico and Democrats as the Billionaires Ball.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner, a former Texas House member who lost a race for speaker, is listed in a group of 10 speakers for the first hour of the rally that's evolved into a tribute to President Donald Trump, his Cabinet and others who are close to him first and foremost.
Paxton landed in the time slot that begins at 5 p.m. on Wednesday - which should assure that he takes the stage in Dallas before the first game of the National Football League's regular season gets under way that night shortly after 7 p.m. Abbott is listed among the group of speakers that are set to appear during the same time span on Thursday.
Trump will be competing head-to-head for ratings with the NFL's Super Bowl rematch on Wednesday with the New England Patriots and defending champion Seattle Seahawks. Vice-President JD Vance is penciled in the keynote slot for Thursday when the first NFL game in Australia will be kicking off with the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Ram. Trump had indicated that he expects to speak both nights.
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is scheduled to address the Trump rally during the first hour on Thursday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. central time. U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, who isn't on the ballot in 2026, is on the schedule for the hour between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. along with U.S. House nominees Eric Flores and Tano Tijerina.
Tijerina is attempting to unseat veteran U.S Rep. Henry Cuellar - a Laredo Democrat who appeared to be in serious peril before he and his wife received pardons from Trump in connection with federal charges of corruption and bribery that they'd faced. Tijerina, the Webb County judge, may choose to avoid any reference to his opponent's criminal record and the president's rescue ride on the Democrat's behalf.
Flores is the son of a former Democratic state representative, Kino Flores, who faced allegations of bribery before he was found guilty on charges of tampering with a government record and perjury in a case that stemmed from financial disclosures in records he was required to file as a state official. While Cuellar has appeared to be a substantial favorite against Tijerina, The younger Flores has better odds on paper in a race that could be close in a Texas congressional district where Democratic U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez appears to have the inside track.
De La Cruz the incumbent in Congressional District 15 has found Democrat Bobby Pulido to be a much tougher challenger than any of the Republicans anticipated when they drew the seat to be solid red on a map that Trump ordered the GOP-controlled Legislature to produce last summer with five new seats for the ruling party. The lawmaker's brother is doing battle with Democrat Johnny Garcia in an open race in Congressional District 35 - which is rated as a toss up in many forecasts for the fall.
All four of the congressional nominees who landed speaking parts at the midterm rally are wagering that their appearances there won't do their campaigns more harm than good in an election year when nothing has been going right for the Republicans.
more to come ...
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