DALLAS, Texas – The second night of the first-of-its-kind Republican midterm convention has concluded, with the party officially hoisting the wagons on U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of a tough Congressional election in November.
On the first night, speaker after speaker described an existential battle against an increasingly “radical” Democratic Party. In his keynote address Wednesday, President Trump urged voters to “pretend” that he’s on the ballot, even as his approval ratings plummet on deep-rooted concerns about affordability, fueled by the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran.
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Going a step further, President Trump also promised to give Americans a “$5,000 dividend” if Republicans retain control of both houses of Congress, a promise that drew consternation from supporters and critics alike.
The second night saw further efforts to rally the Republican base. The key points are:
Protesters gather, Democrats unite
The Democratic National Committee chose not to hold its own national convention, which is typically held only during presidential elections.
Instead, liberal reaction was mostly limited to small protests near the American Airlines Center, where the Republican convention was being held, and Democrats held a rally at Dallas City Hall in the evening.
“It’s about bringing national attention to this case and putting pressure on politicians who aren’t as deeply rooted in MAGA,” said John Pattison, 66, of Frisco, Texas. John Pattison, 66, of Frisco, Texas, is a retired activist with Indivisible, the group that organized the protest near the American Airlines Center.
He said the convention “would have the opposite effect of what President Trump wants. It would be like a rat coming out of a sinking ship.”
“We’re going to flip Texas, and President Trump is concerned about that,” he added.
Dallas project manager Kathryn Suarez, 51, said Republicans are “intimidated by James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa,” referring to Democratic Senate candidate Talarico, who is being pulled away from Republican candidate Ken Paxton and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Hinojosa.
“It’s no secret that Texas is generally a red state, so (the convention) may work in (Trump’s) favor,” she said. “But that’s why we’re here. We’re standing up and trying to make people understand that that’s not the only option.”
But despite President Trump’s overall low approval ratings, Texas-based Democratic strategist Rania Batrice warned that Democratic leaders still lack a clear message for this final moment in the election.
“People who are seizing the moment and showing up in the moment are running,” she told Al Jazeera. “I think James Talarico is one of them. Abdel El-Sayed is obviously one of them.”
“They’re doing things that our leadership isn’t doing,” Batrice said.
Is President Trump’s successor clear?
Vice President J.D. Vance delivered Thursday’s keynote address after being confronted by President Trump from Wednesday night.
Mr. Vance focused primarily on traditional “family values” issues, praising President Trump’s immigration policies and appealing for Republican unity despite differences.
He pointed to conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s criticism of his opposition to foreign wars. Mr. Vance is widely seen as one of the most critical voices of the US and Israel’s war against Iran during the Trump administration.
“I’m not asking anyone to agree with me on every issue,” he said. “I’m not asking anyone to agree with every policy of the administration.”
“What I am asking you to do is recognize the contrast with the radicals and recognize the achievements of the past 18 months. Friends, we have done much. Together, we can do much more.”
Mr. Vance has long led polls on who would succeed President Trump, and this high-profile speech is likely to further cement his role as his apparent successor.
Many Al Jazeera spoke to said Mr. Vance was seen as the most likely candidate to succeed Mr. Trump in 2028, while others saw Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the right person for the job.
“I like Rubio,” said Brendan House, 42, of Shreveport, Louisiana.
“He’s a jack-of-all-trades,” he said, referring to Rubio, who held multiple roles beyond top diplomat, including head of the nearly defunct USAID agency and acting archivist at the National Archives.
“I feel like President Trump is grooming him for the job,” he said.
Some voters were focused on distant champions.
Rhonda Roe, 55, from Lubbock, Texas, was hoping that conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson would enter the race.
“He is a Christian. He is against sending all our money and men to Israel. This has been happening forever,” she said.
Texas lawmaker says banning ‘Sharia law’ is a Republican priority
Two Texas officials denounced “Sharia law” in speeches Thursday and emphasized that the issue is a priority for Republicans.
Sen. Ted Cruz said, “There is no Sharia law in the United States.” “Sharia law is fundamentally inconsistent with the Constitution and we need to come together and stop it now.”
His statement comes as Republicans in Congress have become increasingly enamored with the concept, launching the so-called Sharia-Free America Caucus.
Critics say the lawmakers are misrepresenting the Islamic concept of sharia, which roughly translates to “the trodden path to water.” Lawmakers have made no meaningful effort to codify their interpretation of Islamic principles into U.S. law. Supporters have accused lawmakers of manufacturing the issue to stigmatize Islam.
In Texas, the Republican-controlled government has taken several measures that have been condemned as Islamophobic, including a recent effort to ban prayer areas at airports.
Gov. Greg Abbott also spoke Thursday and is seeking to designate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Texas as a foreign “terrorist” organization.
“We’re not waiting for Washington, D.C.,” he said during his speech. “We will completely ban Islamic law in Texas.”
Michigan’s El-Sayed bears the brunt of the attack.
Talarico, the Democratic Senate candidate in Texas, received a lot of attention on Wednesday, but on Thursday, attention turned to Michigan progressive Abdul El-Sayed.
Republican candidate Mike Rogers criticized El-Sayed over his campaign appearance with left-wing streaming commentator Hasan Piker.
“Mr. Abdul El-Sayed chose Mr. Hassan as his running mate,” Mr. Rogers said. “They join forces to attack America. They tolerate extremism. They demonize our country.”
So far, Mr. El-Sayed has refused to deny Mr. Piker’s comments, which critics say were deliberately taken out of context.
On Wednesday, Republican Rep. Tom Emmer suggested in a false accusation that U.S.-born El-Sayed should leave the country.
“If you don’t love America, get the fuck out,” Emmer said.
El-Sayed released a new attack ad for Rodgers on Thursday.
Trump solidifies bigger role in midterm elections
If there was a clear message during the two-day convention, it was that President Trump remains a decisive force in the final stages of the midterm elections.
On Wednesday, he pledged to rally around all the close Senate and House races in the coming weeks, an idea that could be disconcerting for candidates wary of engaging with an increasingly unpopular president.
On Thursday, President Trump reiterated that Republicans need to vote in the midterm elections as if they were on the ballot. He did not provide details, but he renewed his promise to provide $5,000 payments to every adult American if Republicans retain control of Congress.
He acknowledged that the reliance on the military was “a little more than I expected,” but insisted Iran would never acquire nuclear weapons and once again referred to the Strait of Hormuz as the “Trump Strait.”
Gerald Molloy, the House candidate running to unseat progressive Becca Balint in deep-blue Vermont, said in an interview with Al Jazeera that he understands why some candidates in liberal-leaning states are wary of supporting Trump.
“I say to Vermonters, this is not about the White House. It’s about getting results from Washington, D.C.,” he said.
Still, he said he believed the broader campaign structure, pitting a “common sense” Republican Party against an increasingly “radical” Democratic Party, could prove effective with voters.
“I think what was kind of the whole theme[of the convention]was that we’re going to get the Republican Party and the other option is socialism or DSA,” he said, referring to the Democratic Socialists of America, which plans to increase its presence in Congress this election cycle.
“I think I kind of understand why the Republican Party is the right choice and the right choice,” he said.
