Republican Midterm Convention Concludes in Dallas with Donald Trump and JD Vance Setting the Stage

Night two of the first-of-its-kind Republican midterm convention has wrapped up in Dallas, Texas, with the party officially hitching its wagon to US President Donald Trump as it faces uphill legislative elections in November.

On the first night, speaker after speaker portrayed an existential fight against an increasingly “radical” Democratic Party. In his keynote address, Trump urged voters to “pretend” he is on the ballot, even as entrenched concerns over affordability, fuelled by the US-Israel war on Iran, have seen the president’s approval ratings dive. Trump also pledged to give US citizens a “$5,000 dividend” if Republicans hold onto both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the elections, a promise that met with consternation from both supporters and critics.

Protesters Gather and Democrats Rally

The Democratic National Committee opted not to hold its own national convention, an event typically held only during presidential election cycles. Instead, the liberal response was largely contained to a small protest held near the American Airlines Center, where the Republican convention was taking place, with Democrats holding a rally at Dallas City Hall in the evening.

“It’s to bring national attention to this and hopefully put some pressure on politicians that aren’t so firmly rooted in MAGA,” said Jon Pattison, 66, from Frisco, Texas, a retiree and activist with the Indivisible group, which organised the protest near the American Airlines Center.

Kathryn Suarez, 51, a project manager from Dallas, said Republicans were “threatened by James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa”, referring to the Democratic Senate candidate Talarico, who has been pulling away from Republican candidate Ken Paxton, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Hinojosa.

Despite Trump’s overall low approval rating, Texas-based Democratic strategist Rania Batrice warned that the Democratic leadership has still failed to articulate a clear message to meet the moment in the final stretch of the election.

A Trump Heir Apparent?

Vice President JD Vance delivered Thursday’s keynote speech after being bumped from Wednesday night by Trump. Focusing largely on traditional “family values” issues and praising Trump’s immigration policies, Vance appealed for Republican unity, even amid disagreements. He pointed to slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s opposition to foreign wars. Vance has long led polls of potential Trump successors, and the high-profile speech is likely to further solidify his role as the heir apparent.

While many who spoke to Al Jazeera saw Vance as Trump’s most likely successor in 2028, several also saw Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the man for the job. Some voters were even eyeing champions from farther afield, such as conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson.

Texas Lawmakers Say Banning ‘Sharia Law’ a Republican Priority

Two Texas officials used their speeches on Thursday to decry “Sharia law”, highlighting the issue as a Republican priority. “Sharia law has no place in America,” Senator Ted Cruz said. Governor Greg Abbott, who also spoke on Thursday, has also sought to label the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Texas as a foreign “terrorist” organisation, adding, “We will fully ban Sharia law in Texas.”

Michigan’s El-Sayed Gets Brunt of Attacks

While Texas Democratic Senate candidate Talarico received outsized attention on Wednesday, Thursday saw a heavier focus on Michigan progressive Abdul El-Sayed. Republican candidate Mike Rogers criticised El-Sayed over campaign appearances he made with left-wing streaming commentator Hasan Piker.

Trump Further Solidifies Outsized Role in Midterms

If one message was clear during the two-day convention, it was that Trump will remain a defining force in the final stretch of the midterm election. On Wednesday, he pledged to rally for every tight Senate and House race in the coming weeks, and on Thursday, he reiterated that Republicans needed to vote in the midterm elections as if he were on the ballot.