Trump and Vance team up at GOP convention as party faces midterm risks,
and eyes what's next
[September 11, 2026]
By MICHELLE L. PRICE and LISA MASCARO
DALLAS (AP) — President Donald Trump and his Vice President JD Vance
teamed up Thursday to close out the second and final night of the
Republicans’ midterm convention in Dallas, imploring voters to stick
together to save their party’s majorities in Congress.
Republicans know they are up against history, which traditionally
rebuffs the party in power during midterms, but they're relying on
Trump’s personal appeal to voters. Vance, with a primetime speaking slot
right before the president, was widely watched as a potential heir to
the “Make America Great Again” movement.
Trump organized the convention hoping to rally voters who turn out for
him, but not for other candidates.
“You got to do me the biggest favor you’ve ever done,” Trump told the
crowd. “You’ve got to do this for me.”
At one point he led the crowd in a repeat-after-me pledge to swear to
vote on Nov. 3.
Vance delivered searing criticism of Democrats, calling them “the party
of hatred.” And even though Republicans have faced their own rifts over
Trump's war in Iran and other issues, he urged them to remain united for
the midterms.
“Don’t give the country over to a bunch of crazy people because you
happen to disagree with us on a policy issue here or there,” he said.
Republicans work to avoid midterm losses in November
Republicans face a potential reckoning this fall. They are struggling to
bolster enthusiasm for congressional candidates and laboring to overcome
voters’ concerns about the economy and the war with Iran. While many
Republicans skipped the confab at American Airlines Center, others still
see solidarity with Trump as their best shot at winning, despite the
president’s low approval rating.
Republicans spent two consecutive nights denouncing Democrats as
extremists, and Trump capped Wednesday by making the outlandish promise
of $5,000 to each American adult if his party wins in November. Such a
proposal could cost more than $1 trillion and was roundly panned — even
by some Republicans.
As the convention ended, Cheryl McClure of Mansfield, Texas, said she
hopes her party's fortunes improve.
“People are talking about what’s happening at the grocery store, and are
understandably still afraid, but things are getting better, and it’s our
job to spread the word,” she said. “The emotion coming out is good to
drive us forward into November.”
House Democrats blasted the Republicans’ convention as an opulent
spectacle for an out-of-touch president.
“Donald Trump does not care about the average American family or about
affordability," said Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif.
Protesters chanting “say it loud, say it clear, Donald Trump’s not
welcome here” marched down streets, but were stopped by police from
getting too close to the site.
Republicans are showcasing accomplishments and eyeing 2028
Vance’s keynote offered hints about his political aspirations, as he
spoke about his own family, his wife, Usha, who recently gave birth to
their fourth child, and his vision for the country. He has not yet said
if he will run in 2028.
When a protester with a Mexican flag interrupted his speech, Vance won
an extended roar of approval with his sharp response.
“Well, my friend, if you love Mexico so much, get your a— over there.
I’ll buy you a plane ticket,” he said.
"We got to send a message this November,” Vance said. “This country was
handed down to us by our parents and their parents before them. We
received this national birthright, and we are going to fight for it by
electing Republicans this November.”
The vice president, who also serves as the Republican National
Committee’s finance chair, raised $2 million for the party earlier
Thursday at a fundraiser in Dallas, according to a person familiar with
the event who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on
condition of anonymity.
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President Donald Trump watches as balloons fall at the Republican
convention Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Alex
Brandon)
Trump is also deploying his cash in key midterm races. No Going Back
PAC Inc., which, according to a person with knowledge of the
situation, is connected to Trump’s MAGA Inc., has reserved more than
$68 million for advertising. The person was not authorized to speak
publicly about the funding arrangement.
Coming on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001,
attacks, the evening solemnly marked that moment. It also produced a
video tribute to Charlie Kirk, who co-founded the conservative group
Turning Point USA. He was assassinated one year ago.
“His voice has only grown louder,” said Lucas Miles, a pastor and
vice president at Turning Point. The president's son, Donald Trump
Jr., drew chants of “USA!” as he honored Kirk and criticized
Democrats.
At one point, Rep. Mike Lawler, who is fighting to win reelection in
New York, appeared onstage with the family of Sheridan Gorman who
was fatally shot in Chicago and officials have charged a man they
say was illegally in the country. They presented a bench in her
honor as a place where lawmakers can sit to discuss issues.
In a lighter moment, Marty O’Donnell, a composer who is challenging
a House Democrat in Nevada, got the crowd to sing along to the
earworm jingle he wrote for Flintstones vitamins.
Trump hopes the convention will help Republicans buck historical
trends
The night's themes delved into what House Speaker Mike Johnson calls
the “Contrast for America,” as Republicans showcased what they call
their “Big Beautiful Bill” of tax breaks and spending cuts and
warned of a bleak future if Democrats take control.
The campaign slogan is a throwback to another Republican leader,
Newt Gingrich, who offered a Contract with America. This time,
rather than presenting a detailed list of priorities, Republicans
are quick to portray all Democrats as in line with their most
liberal candidates, some backed by the Democratic Socialists of
America, and focused on investigating the Trump administration.
“It truly is a contrast between common sense and crazy,” Johnson
said. “We cannot and we will not allow them to take the majority in
Congress.”
With the Republican majorities in the House and Senate both at risk
this fall, the president’s agenda for his final two years in office
is also at stake. The margins in Congress are expected to be narrow,
with a few seats in a shrunken map of competitive races determining
the outcome.
Presidents past have acknowledged their midterm losses — Barack
Obama called his 2010 setbacks a “shellacking,” George W. Bush
labeled his a “thumping.”
But Trump often refuses to accept defeat, including his false claims
that he, rather than Joe Biden, won the 2020 election. One of the
many people he pardoned for their actions in the Jan. 6, 2021,
attack on the Capitol, former Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes,
appeared at the convention.
The night closed with a slow-motion balloon drop that typically
falls on a presidential nominee at party conventions, and Trump
lingered onstage to enjoy operatic singing from his favorite tenor.
___
Mascaro reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Jill
Colvin, Thomas Beaumont and Jamie Stengle in Dallas, Will Weissert,
Steven Sloan and Aamer Madhani in Washington, JJ Cooper in Phoenix,
Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Mike
Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, Hannah Fingerhut in Des
Moines, Iowa, and Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Virginia, contributed to
this report.
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