Trump floats an unusual Republican National Convention before the midterms
President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that the Republican Party host a national convention before next year’s midterm elections to highlight its talent, an unusual move that Democrats are also considering.
Such a gathering would come ahead of a historically difficult election year for the party in power. But Trump predicted in a social media post that the GOP would nonetheless “WIN BIG IN THE MIDTERMS” based on the party’s achievements since he returned to the White House.
“In that light, I am thinking of recommending a National Convention to the Republican Party, just prior to the Midterms,” Trump said. “It has never been done before. STAY TUNED!!!”
The major parties typically hold their national conventions every four years, during the summer before presidential elections.
The Democratic National Committee has already been mulling a midterm Democratic convention, and Chair Ken Martin supports the idea, according to a Democratic official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans. Trump suggested a Republican convention the day after Axios first reported that the DNC was considering the idea.
“To showcase our tremendous candidates running up and down the ballot and harness the amazing grass-roots energy we’re already seeing, several options are on the table for next year, including hosting a large-scale gathering before the midterms,” DNC spokesman Abhi Rahman said in a statement Thursday.
Republicans are looking to defend both their House and Senate majorities in the November 2026 election. Trump is especially concerned about the House majority, which is razor-thin, and has been pushing Texas and other red states to redraw their district maps to give the party more of an advantage leading into the midterms.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) appeared to quickly back the idea of a pre-midterms convention, writing on X, “YES, Mr. President! Let’s go!!!!”
The party that controls the White House usually fares poorly in its first midterms. Republicans are also grappling with an unpopular president in Trump, who had a 37% approval rating in a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.
The decision to hold a convention would ultimately be up to the Republican National Committee, which recently elected a new chair, Joe Gruters, who is a staunch Trump ally.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to comment further on Trump’s vision for a midterms convention during a briefing Thursday. But she said there is “so much” Republicans have accomplished and Trump “wants to see that celebrated.”
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• Hannah Knowles contributed.