Dozens of House Republicans Plan to Skip Trump's Midterm Convention
The Republican National Committee is holding its first-ever midterm convention September 9-10 in Dallas, a high-profile gathering meant to showcase President Trump's record ahead of November's elections, but dozens of House Republicans are planning to skip it entirely. The split has exposed a broader question inside the party over whether leaning on Trump's presence will help or hurt candidates in competitive districts this fall.
A Convention Outside the Usual Cycle
Unlike a traditional presidential nominating convention, the "America First" gathering will conduct no official party business, functioning instead as a platform to highlight Republican accomplishments and energize candidates defending the party's narrow House and Senate majorities. RNC Chair Joe Gruters said the event "shows how completely united Republicans are behind President Trump," pointing to the party's focus on turning out voters ahead of the midterms.
Dozens of Republicans Plan to Skip
Of more than 70 House Republicans surveyed by Politico, 45 said they don't plan to attend, with several citing the roughly $25,000 price tag members were asked to pay. Rep. Tom Barrett explained his decision by saying, "I can't control what the president's going to say at the convention, but I can control where I'm at."
Rep. Tim Burchett pointed to the cost as a factor in his own uncertainty about attending, and other members, granted anonymity, described the planning around the event as "a mess" and questioned the strategy of building the midterms around Trump rather than appealing to independent voters, with one noting that swing voters "are not attending nor watching the midterm convention." The RNC has disputed that characterization, calling turnout for the event "incredible" and describing it as a historic show of party unity.
The Case for Leaning In
Other Republicans see Trump's involvement as essential to holding the majority. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said recently that "he's going to campaign like it's 2024 again," signaling a significant increase in the president's campaign travel this fall.
Republican strategist Matt Terrill argued that history backs up the approach, noting that "when President Trump is on the ballot, Republicans tend to do well," even though Trump's own name won't appear on any 2026 ballot. Terrill added that ultimately "it's going to come down to pocketbook issues" for voters, regardless of how visible the president is on the campaign trail.
Polling Headwinds Loom Over the Strategy
The debate comes as Trump's approval ratings have slipped on several key issues. Only 31% of respondents approve of his handling of the economy, the lowest mark of either of his terms, while his approval on immigration fell from 49% in March to 38%, and his approval on crime dropped from 53% to 43% over the same span.
History offers a mixed picture for both convention strategies: Democrats gained 40 House seats in the 2018 midterms with Trump nowhere on the ballot, while Republicans netted just nine seats in 2022 despite a wave of Trump endorsements, underscoring how unpredictable a president's coattails can be in a midterm year.
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