- In the first-ever GOP midterm convention, President Donald Trump promised voters $5,000 each if Republicans hold on to the House and Senate in November.
- Trump touted his accomplishments on crime, the border and taxes, while accusing Democrats of being taken over by socialists.
- Democrats held counter-programming on Wednesday, focusing on issues of affordability and the conflict in Iran.
- Democratic Sen. John Fetterman made a surprise appearance at Wednesday night's convention.
In his primetime address at the Republican midterm convention on Wednesday, a first for the party, President Donald Trump said every American adult would receive a $5,000 dividend if his party holds onto the House and Senate in November.
“Please pretend that I’m running and get out and vote on or before Nov. 3,” Trump said in his hour and 45 minute speech in front of Republican lawmakers and party activists in Dallas.
As he faces the potential loss of one or both chambers of Congress, which typically happens in midterm elections to the party holding the presidency, Trump asked his supporters to show up in November and vote for Republican candidates — promising a payoff if they do.
“If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them, because of our tremendous economic success… I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000,” he said.
The money would have to be spent in the U.S., he said.
In the past, Trump has suggested paying dividends to Americans from money collected from tariffs and from money he believed would be saved through the Department of Government Efficiency, but those dividends did not materialize.
If every American adult citizen was paid $5,000, the cost could stretch over $1 trillion.
This is the first time a political party has held a midterm convention. Parties typically hold conventions only during presidential election years, when delegates formally nominate their candidates for president and vice president.
But Trump wanted to hold a convention this year, believing it would help Republican candidates. He seemed energized by the crowd on Wednesday night, and said he would hold rallies across the country before November in states with competitive races.
Texas has surprisingly become one of those states, with a competitive Senate race between the state’s Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, and Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, who is ahead of Paxton in recent polls.
Paxton, who has been accused of corruption and infidelity, defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary after receiving Trump’s endorsement, but has struggled to win support since then among a majority of Texas voters.
Trump, after making fun of Paxton for how he dresses, speaks and looks, said he was the “greatest” attorney general in the country and asked Texas voters to show up for him in November.
Trump defends record
During his speech on Wednesday, Trump highlighted areas of success in the first two years of his presidency, including record low crime numbers and illegal border crossings. He also touted the tax cuts passed in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including the elimination of taxes on tips and overtime, and recent reductions in the price of prescription drugs.
He briefly defended the war in Iran, asking the attendees of the convention if Iran should have a nuclear weapon, to which they responded with a resounding “no,” while acknowledging the increase in the price of oil and gas.
After praising Speaker Mike Johnson, who received applause, Trump also acknowledged and then defended Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who was booed by the crowd.
Thune has been criticized by party faithful over the SAVE Act stalling in the Senate. Thune says he supports the legislation, championed by Utah Sen. Mike Lee, which would require voter ID at the polls and proof of citizenship to register to vote, but says there are not the votes for it in the Senate.
In his remarks Wednesday, Trump blamed Democrats for failing to pass the legislation, which he said has the support of a majority of Americans.
The president acknowledged Erika Kirk, who was applauded by the crowd. When she stood to wave, attendees started chanting “Charlie,” as she teared up. Thursday is the one-year anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
“A far left extremist assassinated my great friend and conservative voice, Charlie Kirk, because Charlie Kirk spoke the truth,” Trump said.
Trump criticizes democratic socialists
Trump repeated his assertion that Democrats have moved dangerously to the left this year, as democratic socialists have defeated incumbents in multiple races.
“In state after state, the Democrat establishment has been overthrown and replaced by crazed lunatics and radicals,” he said. “They call themselves democratic socialists, but actually they’re communists and not socialists.”
Trump briefly touched on issues of affordability, a top issue for voters this yea,r according to multiple polls.
Democratic counter-programming
Democrats offered counter-programming to the Republican convention, with a rally in Dallas led by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, as they work to keep voters’ minds on issues of affordability and inflation.
“This bizarre midterm convention here can’t paper over the fact that Republicans have done nothing to earn your vote. Donald Trump is hoping that a flashy primetime event will make you forget that his trade war is killing costs for families at the grocery store,” Pritzker said, according to Fox4 News.
In poll after poll, voters express frustration about affordability. Amid persistently high interest rates, gas prices and rising costs of healthcare and housing, approval ratings for Trump and congressional Republicans have dropped.
But Democrats are facing their own headwinds, as the party’s approval rating has also been near record lows.
The rise of the democratic socialist movement could make it harder for the party to win general election races in November, as Republicans continue to point to unpopular policies championed by the movement, including closing prisons and opening the border.
Democratic senator makes surprise appearance at GOP convention
In a surprise, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman appeared in a pre-recorded video played to convention attendees, where he introduced fellow Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick, a Republican.
“Yes, I’m a Democrat. Why am I here talking to you?” he said, before referring to himself as a “commonsense Democrat.”
“I’m always going to stand with America. I’m always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life,” he said.
Fetterman praised McCormick, saying he is “the kind of senator that gets the job done, and he’s going to fight for Pennsylvania. I’m proud to count him as my friend.”
Fetterman has repeatedly come under fire from fellow Democrats, as well as his former staffers, who anonymously accused him in a recent Wall Street Journal article of not working hard.
He’s faced particular ire from fellow Democrats for his staunch support for Israel, amid rising anti-Israel sentiment on the political left.