US President Donald Trump used a keynote address at the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas to place himself at the center of November’s congressional elections. Speaking to a friendly crowd, Trump asked supporters to pretend he was a candidate and pledged to campaign heavily in roughly three dozen competitive House and Senate races. He also promised that every adult American would receive a $5,000 “Trump dividend” if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress, though he provided no details on funding or legal implementation.
The unusual convention was held as Republicans face a difficult midterm environment, with independent forecasters shifting the Senate outlook to a toss-up and Democrats favored to retake the House. These difficulties stem largely from the fallout of the war the United States and Israel have waged against Iran since February, which has pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel and pressured Trump’s approval ratings. Trump defended the war effort in his speech, insisted the US controls the Strait of Hormuz, and floated renaming the strait after himself while raising the possibility of further military escalation.
Other speakers at the Dallas event, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, rallied donors and volunteers, while Republican lawmakers framed the election as a contest against a resurgent left wing of the Democrats. Analysts cautioned that a close association with Trump could galvanize Democratic turnout alongside Republican enthusiasm.