Trump to headline first-ever Republican midterm convention in Dallas
Republicans are gathering in Dallas for the party's first-ever midterm convention, an event aimed at energizing voters ahead of elections that will determine control of Congress.
(NBC)- Republicans are gathering in Dallas for the party’s first-eve
r midterm convention, an event aimed at energizing voters ahead of elections that will determine control of Congress. President Donald Trump is scheduled to headline the two-day gathering at the American Airlines Center.
Republican lawmakers attending the convention are expected to highlight the party’s accomplishments and priorities, while some GOP members facing competitive reelection campaigns are skipping the event.
The convention comes as economic issues, including the cost of living and the escalating U.S.-Canada trade dispute, remain part of the political debate heading into the midterms.
The Trump administration announced Tuesday that the United States will ban imports of certain Canadian alcohol, dairy products and motorcycles beginning Sept. 29. The action followed Canada’s implementation of retaliatory tariffs on about $20 billion in U.S. goods.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has defended his country’s retaliatory measures, saying they are intended to protect Canadian workers, businesses and communities.
Republicans are also confronting concerns about higher energy prices amid continued fighting involving the United States and Iran.
Those economic and foreign-policy issues come as Trump’s national approval rating stands at 36% in a recent NBC News Decision Desk/SurveyMonkey poll, with 64% disapproving.
Republican leaders say the president and the party remain focused on reducing the cost of living as they seek to make their case to voters.
The Dallas convention was Trump’s idea and is intended to bring some of the attention and fanfare typically associated with presidential nominating conventions to a midterm election year. Trump has urged supporters to turn out in November even though his name will not appear on the ballot.
