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The Republican Party kicked off its first-ever midterm convention in Dallas Wednesday, nicknamed a “Trump-a-Palooza,” as party figures bet President Donald Trump’s center-stage performance can lift their fortunes despite his record-low approval ratings. Believed uniquely capable of energizing the party’s base, Trump will give two televised speeches at the two-day event. But if he is Republicans’ “biggest draw,” he’s also their “biggest liability,” a Bloomberg columnist argued, associated in voters’ minds with stubborn inflation, cost of living concerns, and a drawn-out Iran conflict. A Politico survey of 70 Republican candidates found fewer than half planned to attend. “Nationalizing an election does not make sense when the president is at 38% job approval,” a longtime Republican pollster told The Wall Street Journal.
document fetched 2026-09-10 23:01 · canonical https://semafor.com/article/09/09/2026/republicans-kick-off-trump-a-palooza-midterm-convention