Sneak Peek: Dallas to host first-ever Republican midterm convention featuring Donald Trump
Dallas to host first-ever Republican midterm convention
Republican leaders met with the media in Dallas to talk about the upcoming GOP midterm convention. They say it's about putting their policies front and center ahead of the November elections.
DALLAS - A first of its kind midterm convention hosted by the Republican Party will be held in Dallas in a month.
On Wednesday, convention leaders met with the media to talk about the logistics of the event that Republicans hope will help them keep control of Congress.
GOP Midterm Convention
What we know:
The two-day convention will begin on Sept. 9 at the American Airlines Center. President Donald Trump is expected to be in attendance.
There won’t be any nominating speeches and delegates won’t have to cast any true votes. But visually, it will look like a traditional convention with state representatives on the floor.
And while the official schedule has not yet been released, the president will most certainly headline the event. Some are even calling it a "Trumpapalooza" in Dallas.
Republicans eyeing American Airlines Center for midterm ‘Trumpapalooza’ in Dallas
Republicans are ramping up preparations for the party’s first midterm convention this fall in Dallas.
What they're saying:
No political party has ever held a midterm convention.
Democrats say it’s all for show, claiming Republicans are nervous about losing congressional seats in November. Republicans say it’s an opportunity to focus on wins by the Trump administration.
"I think there is nothing scared about this. We are putting our policies front and center and we are challenging Democrats to put their policies front and center," said Zach Kraft, a communications director for the RNC’s central region. "Republicans are offering lower prices, a secure border and a historic reduction in crime. We are seeing a 125-year low. There is nothing scared about this. The Republicans are putting their money where their mouth is. We are challenging Democrats to do the same thing with their policies and let the American people choose which is better for their lives."
Big picture view:
In recent years, party conventions have been more of a pep rally with less actual business being done.
SMU political scientist Matthew Wilson said the optics of this rare midterm convention could have an impact on voters if the message is clear and coherent.
"If Republicans can emphasize two main things, that is, first of all, the radicalism of a lot of Democratic candidates that are getting nominated around the country, and, their coherent, united, plausible message on affordability and on inflation, then I think it will do them a lot of good. If, on the other hand, the message is all over the place and you have a bunch of the party's more extreme figures going off on tangents, that's not gonna do the party much good," he said.
Historically, it has been common for the party in power to have losses two years into a president’s term.
The Source: FOX 4's Steven Dial gathered information for this story by attending a media walkthrough hosted by the Republican Party.