Trump urges voters to treat midterms as presidential ballot during Dallas speech

Keynote at the American Airlines Center

President Donald Trump delivered a keynote address on the evening of 9 September 2026 in Dallas, Texas, opening a two-day Republican midterm convention. The event at the American Airlines Center adopted the format of presidential nominating conventions, complete with campaign vendors, flag displays, and a musical performance of "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood. Trump spoke for one hour and 44 minutes, exceeding his previous convention address length set two years earlier in Milwaukee. Vice President JD Vance was originally scheduled to headline the opening evening before a last-minute schedule revision placed Trump in the primary speaking slot.

Midterm strategy and the five thousand dollar pledge

Trump acknowledged historical voting patterns showing that the political party holding the presidency routinely incurs seat losses during midterm elections. To counter drop-off among his supporters who turn out primarily during presidential cycles, Trump urged Republican voters to treat congressional races as a referendum on him.

I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot.

Trump announced an upcoming travel schedule targeting roughly 35 of the country's most competitive congressional districts and states. He also floated a policy proposal to distribute a $5,000 cash payment, branded as the "Trump dividend," to every adult citizen if Republicans preserve their majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The proposal would carry an estimated cost of up to $1 trillion and require domestic spending, though details regarding its legal execution were not specified.

Economic defense and the conflict with Iran

Trump dismissed widespread concerns over high consumer prices for food, housing, and gasoline, declaring that Democratic policies caused inflation and that his administration was actively resolving it. He defended his use of import tariffs to protect domestic manufacturing, even as import fees remain unpopular in trade-dependent states such as Michigan and Alaska. Trump also linked fuel affordability directly to foreign policy, stating that gasoline prices would decline once military operations conclude. He defended the joint offensive against Iran, launched alongside Israel on 28 February 2026, as an imperative measure to deny Tehran a nuclear weapon.

Candidate attendance and internal party divisions

The Dallas convention revealed differences within the Republican Party as Trump's approval rating stood at 33%, the lowest level of his second term according to public survey data. Moderate figures facing difficult general election contests, such as Senator Susan Collins of Maine, chose not to attend the gathering in Dallas. Four battleground Senate nominees who addressed the audience focused their speeches on tax cuts and portrayed Democratic rivals as extreme, while avoiding references to tariffs or the ongoing war with Iran. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton delivered unreserved backing for the president, supported by a $10 million expenditure from a pro-Trump super PAC in his contest against Democratic state representative James Talarico.

The press, the courts, and the establishment all tried to take President Trump down, but he has won every single time.

The Dallas convention concludes its schedule with a second evening of speeches on 10 September 2026.