President Donald Trump said he’s “petrified” to attack Democrats for supporting men playing in women' s sports because he thinks they might change their minds to win over voters during his address at GOP Midterm Convention in Texas.
“And I don't like to do it much before the election,” Trump said. “I like to wait about a week before the election.”
Trump said if Democrats decided to rail against men in women' s sports that it could really hurt Republicans as its one of the party's leading issues.
“That's one of our great soundbites of all time,” Trump shared. “And I thought after we won in a landslide in the last election, they would change that. But I saw two senators and a congressman in the last week and a half on television, fighting like hell for men to play in women's sports, and I hope they continue to do that.”
President Donald Trump blamed former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, now running for U.S. Senate, for policies he argued allowed the man accused of killing Iryna Zarutska to remain on the streets before she was fatally stabbed.
“Roy Cooper will make North Carolina a killing field, and he's a radical left politician posing as a moderate,” Trump said Wednesday.
Zarutska was fatally stabbed aboard a Charlotte light-rail train in August 2025 while returning home from work. Decarlos Brown Jr., who had a lengthy criminal record, was arrested and charged in her killing.
“And I just want to pay my condolences to the mother of Iryna, who is living in hell right now,” Trump said during his address at the GOP Midterm Convention. “Her daughter would be alive today if North Carolina had a different governor, because that animal would have been in prison, or worse, he wouldn't have been let go to be on the streets and be in a train sitting right behind that beautiful young lady.”
Brown had been arrested in January 2025 on a misdemeanor charge of misusing the 911 system and was released on a written promise to appear in court.
Brown's inmate number later appeared on a list associated with a 2021 COVID-19 prison settlement reached during Cooper's administration, prompting Republicans to accuse the former governor of being responsible for Brown's release.
However, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction has said Brown was not released early because of the settlement. State officials said Brown had completed his minimum prison sentence and was released from prison in 2020, months before the settlement was reached. Officials said his later inclusion on the settlement-related list stemmed from his post-release supervision status.
UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje praised President Donald Trump after an “epic” fight at the White House, saying the president has done “phenomenal things” for mixed martial arts.Gaethje was among the UFC fighters and guests who attended the event, which Trump hosted on the White House grounds.
More than 1,000 U.S. service members were also invited to watch the fight.“President Trump has done phenomenal things for MMA,” Gaethje said, praising the president for bringing the sport to the White House and including American troops in the event.Trump has maintained a close relationship with UFC President Dana White, who spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2024 and has repeatedly praised the president’s support for the sport.
The White House fight was part of Trump’s broader effort to bring high-profile sporting events to prominent national venues. The president has also promoted plans for future events as part of the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
{{#rendered}}Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent used his remarks at the Republican National Committee's midterm convention in Dallas to argue that President Donald Trump's economic agenda has put American families first while contrasting the administration's record with that of former President Joe Biden.
"Our obligation begins by making this country work again for the very people who sustain it," Bessent said.
"We know how hard you work every day for your families, and I can tell you, no one works harder for you, no one fights harder for you, and no president has asked his team and of himself to put American families back at the center of the American economy than Donald J. Trump."
Bessent pointed to what he described as the administration's economic accomplishments, including tax cuts, trade policy, energy production and manufacturing growth.
"Across this country, President Trump's policies are reaching the very people they were designed to serve," he said.
"He signed the largest tax cuts in history, rebalanced trade in favor of our working families, reclaimed our position as the world's energy superpower, and where his predecessors created debt and dependency, this president is creating assets and expanding ownership through Trump accounts.
"He also claimed that "more Americans are working than ever before," saying the private sector has added more than 1 million jobs, manufacturing is "roaring back," companies are investing trillions of dollars in the United States and that the lowest-paid workers are seeing the largest wage gains.
Bessent later sharply criticized the Biden administration, blaming Democrats for high inflation, increased regulation, border policies and higher costs for American families.
He also accused the "radical left" of embracing policies that would expand government control over the economy.
President Donald Trump defended his tariff agenda during his keynote address at the Republican National Committee's midterm convention Wednesday night, saying the policy is generating record revenue and attracting investment to the United States.
"I love the word," Trump said, referring to tariffs.
The president recalled previously calling "tariff" his favorite word before joking that he moved it down the list after critics questioned whether it ranked ahead of "love," "wife," "God," "religion" and "family."
"So I moved tariff down to fifth," Trump said.
Trump then pivoted back to defending his trade agenda, arguing tariffs have become a major source of federal revenue.
"Trillions of dollars in tariff revenue have come in," Trump said.
Treasury data shows customs duties have climbed sharply under the administration. In January alone, the federal government collected $30.4 billion in customs duties, up about 242% from $8.9 billion in the same month a year earlier.
Trump also said his trade policies are drawing unprecedented foreign investment to the United States, arguing the influx of capital demonstrates the success of his economic agenda.
Tariffs have remained a cornerstone of Trump's trade policy and featured prominently throughout the convention as Republicans highlighted the administration's economic agenda heading into the November midterm elections.
President Donald Trump warned Iran against continuing activity at its underground Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site, saying the United States may launch another strike against the facility.
“We noticed there’s a little activity at Pickaxe,” Trump said during remarks at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas. “I would advise Iran not to get cute, because we will have to hit them very hard.”
Trump said the United States can monitor activity at the site from space and suggested Iran could face another attack.
“We may have to give them a shot there, too,” he said. “We don’t need much.”
Trump tied the threat to his longstanding criticism of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the JCPOA.
“Made a deal, JCPOA, one of the worst deals in the history,” Trump said. “It was a road to a nuclear weapon for Iran.”
“If I didn’t cancel the JCPOA and if we didn’t hit them with our beautiful B-2 bombers, they would have a nuclear weapon right now,” he added.
Pickaxe Mountain is a heavily fortified underground facility near Iran’s Natanz nuclear complex. Experts believe the site could be intended for uranium enrichment.
{{#rendered}}Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner told Fox News Digital that voters should put their trust in Republicans in the midterms, framing the election as a stark choice between “common sense and communism.”
“The number one reason why the American voters should trust Republicans is because it is a choice between common sense and communism,” Turner said at the Republican National Committee’s Midterm Convention.
Turner commended President Donald Trump as an “American first president,” praising him for focusing on issues he framed as essential freedoms.
President Trump has made [affordability] a top priority… to be an American first president because that’s who he is,” Turner said.
Affordability continuously proves to be a top-of-mind issue for voters, particularly throughout the Trump era. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed that 32% of voters approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, but only a quarter view his performance on cost of living as successful.
With Republicans looking to mobilize voters ahead of November’s midterms, Turner called on Americans to view electing Republicans to keep control in Congress as vital to maintaining simple freedoms.
“It is fighting for the posterity of our country, the freedoms that we enjoy, strong military, family values, religious liberty, housing, affordability,” Turner said.
President Donald Trump warned of a "crazy little sick cloud" hanging over the country Wednesday night as he cast the November midterms as a fight against communism and for "American freedom."
"There is a crazy little sick cloud over our country," Trump told Republicans gathered for the GOP Midterm Convention in Dallas. "I really believe it's not going anywhere, but we have to make sure ... we will defeat communism in America and vote for American freedom."
Trump's remarks came during the Republican Party's two-day midterm convention at the American Airlines Center, where the GOP is sharpening its midterm message as Republicans fight to maintain control of Congress this fall. The president acknowledged the historical difficulties a president's party typically faces in midterm elections but urged his supporters to approach November as if his own name were on the ballot.
"I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot," Trump said, while warning Republicans in attendance that they risk losing gains on the border, taxes, public safety and the economy if Democrats prevail in November.
Trump also reiterated his pledge to personally campaign in roughly 35 competitive House and Senate races around the country.
"They might be winning by a little or losing by a little or tied. We can win every one of those races," Trump told the crowd. "But I'm going to go to every one of those states for congressmen and for senators I'm going to do that and we're going to have rallies."
President Donald Trump revived his proposal to rename New Mexico during his speech at the Republican National Committee's midterm convention Wednesday night, returning to an idea he first floated over the Labor Day weekend.
"Let's rename New Mexico. We'll call it 'New America,'" Trump told the crowd, drawing cheers.
The remarks came just days after Trump posted multiple altered maps and an AI-generated video on Truth Social promoting the idea of changing the state's name to "New America."
The proposal quickly drew pushback from New Mexico officials, including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who told Fox News Digital the state's name "isn't up for debate — it's been ours since before the United States existed."
While a president can direct federal agencies to use new names for certain geographic features, Trump cannot unilaterally rename a state.
New Mexico's name is established in the state's constitution, meaning any official change would require action within the state rather than an executive order.
Trump's renewed comments come just weeks after he signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as "Lake America" for federal use, following an earlier order directing federal agencies to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America."
{{#rendered}}President Donald Trump has promised to pay every American $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate after November’s midterm elections.
“If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them, because of our economic, tremendous economic success like in history, we've never had anything like what's happening. But because of our tremendous strength and success economically, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000,” the president said during the GOP midterm convention. “Very much like a successful company will do a cash distribution to its shareholders.”
With about 240 million adults living in the United States, the president’s payment would cost the government roughly $1.2 trillion. The federal government’s annual budget is around $7 trillion.
If Trump manages to push the payments through, the cash will come with strings attached.
“The only caveat I have is that the dividend that we're making must be spent in the United States of America,” Trump said. “We don't want you going to Canada to spend the money.”
The president has proposed calling the payments a “Trump dividend.”
The crowd at Wednesday’s GOP midterm convention jeered at Senate Majority Leader John Thune as President Donald Trump mentioned him during his marquee speech.
“And John Thune is here for the Senate. Where's John? Where is John?” the president said.
Thune’s name was met with boos from the president’s audience, prompting him to defend the senator.
“No, no, John is John is working hard. He's got great opposition. He's got great opposition from the Democrat [Chuck] Schumer. And these guys, they're terrible, got great opposition. He's working very hard. He's going to he's going to have he's going to have great success,” Trump said.
The president and Thune have publicly clashed in recent weeks over the SAVE America Act, a piece of legislation that would establish a national voter ID requirement. Thune has so far been unable to advance the bill through the Senate, prompting the president to demand that he ditch the filibuster to push it through.
President Donald Trump suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz “Trump Strait” during remarks at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas.
“We control the Hormuz Strait,” Trump said. “I think we should call it the Trump Strait. I should get something out of it.”
Trump said he would make an announcement about the proposed name and joked that Iran’s leaders would be unhappy with the idea.
“I’d like to tell you it was their idea,” Trump said. “It was not their idea.”
The remarks came as the United States and Iran remain locked in a conflict over control of the strategically important waterway, which Trump said the U.S. now controls.
Trump first floated the “Trump Strait” name in a Truth Social post earlier this month. The proposal follows a series of America-themed geographic renamings and suggestions from the president. His administration officially changed the federal name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, while Trump recently ordered federal agencies to begin referring to Lake Ontario as Lake America. He also posted a map suggesting that New Mexico be renamed “New America.”
{{#rendered}}Speaking at the GOP convention in Texas, President Donald Trump urged voters to send Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to the U.S. Senate.
“I'll be coming back to Texas because we have to elect Ken Paxton. We have to,” Trump said Wednesday evening.
Trump's support puts a spotlight on Paxton's race against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, who is seeking to flip a seat in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1988.
Paxton, a longtime Trump ally who has held statewide office for more than a decade, has faced scrutiny over a series of legal and personal controversies, including an alleged extramarital affair.
Trump appeared to make light of some of the criticism Wednesday night, joking about Paxton's appearance and attire.
“You know, I hope he doesn't get insulted,” Trump said. “Some may not like the way he dresses. I don't, although tonight he looked very spiffy in his blue suit, I must say, you know.”
“And he may not be the best-looking guy I've ever seen. But you know what he is? He's the greatest attorney general in America, and he deserves to be your next senator. I'm sorry, Ken,” Trump added.
President Donald Trump touted his administration's border security efforts during his speech at the Republican National Committee's midterm convention in Dallas, arguing that the construction of the southern border wall helped curb illegal immigration.
"We built this massive, beautiful, great wall," Trump said. "Beautiful because it works."
The president claimed that illegal crossings at the southern border have effectively stopped.
"Zero illegal aliens have entered our country from the southern border in the last 15 months," Trump said, adding that the statistics were compiled by "the people that do these statistics."
Immigration has remained one of the central themes of Trump's second term, with the administration highlighting sharp declines in unlawful border crossings and stricter enforcement policies as key accomplishments.
Border security also featured prominently throughout Wednesday's convention program as Republicans sought to make the issue a centerpiece of their 2026 midterm message.
President Donald Trump reiterated during his Wednesday night convention speech that he plans to campaign in roughly 35 of the country's closest congressional races in the lead-up to Election Day.
“They all count, but we have 35 races that are, I guess you'd call the swings, right?” Trump said. “The ones we need are the ones that you've heard, the ones that are very close. They might be winning by a little or losing by a little or tied. We can win every one of those races, but I'm going to go to every one of those states for congressmen and for senators.”
Trump first publicly outlined the plan last week, when he pledged to campaign in roughly 35 competitive races during the final stretch of the midterm elections.
The president's campaign blitz puts renewed attention on how closely vulnerable Republicans will embrace Trump as they fight to maintain the GOP's congressional majorities.
Some Republicans facing tight elections, including Maine Sen. Susan Collins, have sought to distance themselves from Trump amid his falling approval ratings. At the same time, Trump has demonstrated an ability to mobilize voters who do not regularly participate in elections.
“We're going to have rallies just like this. We're going to have big arenas loaded up with people,” Trump said. “And if I have to, I'll come back twice or three times. You'll say, ‘Get this guy out of here. Get him out.’ You're going to be saying, ‘Get him the hell out of here.’”
{{#rendered}}President Donald Trump argued that if Democrats win back Congress in November then it could likely set the country back for ten years as it recovers from the policies of the “radical left.”
“Your vote will decide whether our country stumbles at the starting gate of the next 250 years, or surges forward and never, ever looks back,” Trump said as the crowd erupted into cheers.
“We hand America's future to the radical left,” Trump continued. “Democrats and our nation will spend the next decade just getting back on its feet. It will be a tragedy. Vote Republican and we will leave the world in our dust for generations to come. There will be nothing like it. We're right at that gate.”
He urged voters to let him and Republican lawmakers to “finish the job” to restore America, which he argued worsened under President Joe Biden’s administration.
“And together we will turn a two year comeback into a 250 year lead where nobody's ever had a start. It's not even two years,” Trump continued.
President Donald Trump urged Republicans to treat the 2026 midterm elections as a referendum on his presidency during remarks at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas.
“I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” Trump said. “I’m on the ballot.”
Trump warned that Republicans could lose control of his agenda if they fail to turn out in November.
“If we lose, you’re going to lose your border. You’re going to lose your tax cuts. You’re going to lose your safety and security,” Trump said.
He also warned that the country could return to the conditions he said existed under the previous administration.
“Our country is going through hell. You will be going through hell just like you did just two years ago,” Trump said.
Trump urged voters to remain united and support Republican candidates on Nov. 3.
“The midterms are not supposed to be won by the sitting president,” Trump said. “And we’re going to change that.”
President Donald Trump used his keynote address at the Republican National Committee's midterm convention in Dallas to frame the upcoming election as a choice between continuing his economic agenda or returning to Democratic policies.
"The choice in this election is very, very simple," Trump told the crowd.
"Democrats are asking you to vote for their failed far-left agenda... and I'm asking you to let us finish the job."
Trump argued his administration has delivered unprecedented economic success, calling his first two years in office "the most successful two years, financially and every other way in the history of the presidency.
"He also pointed to what he described as a surge in foreign investment commitments flowing into the United States.
"We have more money being spent from outside countries and companies — over $20 trillion," Trump said, adding that the figure could climb to as much as "$25 trillion" by the time his administration reaches the two-year mark.
Trump contrasted that number with what he said was the previous record of roughly $3 trillion by another country, arguing the United States is attracting investment on a historic scale.
"And together we will turn a two-year comeback into a 250-year lead," Trump said.
The president closed the section of his speech by predicting the investments would fuel long-term economic growth.
"I want you to remember me in four or five years when this country is rocketing," Trump said. "Remember, I'm the one that got it started."
{{#rendered}}Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz called for a coordinated effort between federal and state agencies to combat health care fraud, warning that stolen taxpayer dollars can also put patients’ lives at risk.
“We must challenge this evil corruption,” Oz said during remarks Wednesday.
Federal and state agencies must coordinate their efforts to halt fraud before it happens,” he added, urging officials to intervene before fraudulent payments are made.
Oz said the goal is not only to protect taxpayer dollars, but also to prevent patients from being harmed by providers who exploit government healthcare programs.
“Keep the money in the building not only to stop the loss of taxpayer dollars, but to prevent Americans from dying at the hands of these thieves,” Oz said.
Oz leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that oversees Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Affordable Care Act marketplace plans.
CMS administers health coverage for more than 160 million Americans.
“Working together, we can make health care more affordable, accessible, accountable,” Oz said.
Attorney General Todd Blanche opened his remarks at the GOP Midterm Convention by recognizing Jennifer Bos, whose daughter, Megan, was found dead inside a bleach-filled garbage can on the property of an illegal immigrant.
Megan Bos was reported missing in February 2025, and her body was discovered 51 days later. Illinois authorities arrested Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez in connection with the case, but he was released a day later after a judge determined the charges against him did not qualify for pretrial detention under state law.
“But I will tell you this,” Blanche said. “He has since been arrested by ICE and will never walk on America's streets again. And that does not bring Megan back.
“And Megan's children will still grow up without their mother. That is why this moment matters. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance do not treat stories like Megan's as acceptable in our society,” Blanche continued. “They treat it as a failure of government.”
Mendoza-Gonzalez is currently being held at Lake County Jail in Waukegan, Illinois.
Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds accused Democrats of creating the inflation crisis facing American families during remarks at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas.
“The Democrats, they created the affordability crisis that is hurting hardworking families all across America,” Donalds said.
He questioned whether voters should trust Democrats to fix the problem.
“Do you let the arsonist become the firefighter?” Donalds asked.
Donalds said Republicans have “the resume and the credentials and the plans and the policies to get our country back on track.”
He cast the midterm elections as a choice between “common sense versus crazy” and urged Republicans to turn out in November.
{{#rendered}}Senate candidate and current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned Republicans Wednesday at the party's midterm convention that the stakes of his U.S. Senate showdown with Democrat James Talarico extends far beyond the Lone Star State, telling attendees in Dallas that losing Texas could mean losing the country.
"If we lose Texas, we lose the common sense revolution. If we lose the common sense revolution, we lose America," Paxton said. "But together, we can send President Trump reinforcements in the Senate and change Washington. We can restore the American Dream across this country."
Paxton cast the U.S. Senate contest between he and Talarico in national terms, arguing that Republicans need to win Texas to send President Donald Trump "reinforcements" in Washington.
Meanwhile, Paxton portrayed Talarico as out of step with Texans, and Americans, while going after him on raising taxes, his stance on energy and cultural issues. He quipped at one point that California doesn't need a third U.S. Senator. "But that's exactly what James Talarico would be," Paxton told the crowd.
Paxton also used his address at the midterm convention to tout his "Protecting the Texas Promise" proposal, which he said would "put thousands of dollars back into" people's pockets.
He also highlighted his record going after the Biden administration in court as Texas's Attorney General.
"When the corrupt Biden administration came for us, I took them to court 107 times, and I won," he told the crowd in Dallas.
Speaking at the GOP Dallas convention on Wednesday evening, Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., said that his grandfather, a Democrat, wouldn’t have recognized the party in 2026, citing the many progressive candidates whose campaigns have been roiled in controversial political stances or scandal.
“My grandfather was a county commissioner in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and he campaigned for Franklin Roosevelt because he believed the Democrats stood for working families and a forward-looking America,” McComrick said.
“My Pop-Pop wouldn't recognize his party. Today, Democrats told us to excuse Nazi tattoos. Michigan's Democratic Senate nominee campaigns with a man who said America, and I quote, ‘deserved 911.’”
Like many Republicans, McCormick has highlighted what he believes is a party-wide shift that Democrats are accommodating as an increasing number of self-proclaimed socialists have enjoyed success in the primaries.
He believes other, more centrist Democrats, have had no choice but to make way for their stances.
“This radical movement excuses this lawlessness. It vilifies the police, it disparages our military, it attacks our business, it spews anti-Semitism, and it celebrates those who despise America,” McCormick said.
Mary Alice, a retiree living in Central Florida, thanked President Donald Trump at the GOP midterm convention for his work on lowering the cost of prescription drugs and cutting her taxes — making it possible for her and her husband to pay for a new roof without dipping into their savings.
The 82-year-old shared that Trump was a “very warm and special person” and that because of his work, her husband’s prescription drugs aren’t breaking the bank.
“The prescription drugs that my husband, he's disabled, the prescription drugs that he need used to cost us a fortune,” she said. “But thanks to this administration and the Republicans in Congress, these prices have dropped dramatically. In one case, for us. From $400 to $28. Prescription drug prices are a big deal, especially for the elderly. I'm on a fixed income. At my age, I have to watch every penny. Trump.”
“At my age, I have to watch every penny. Trump Rx has made that much easier on me,” she continued.
Mary Alice also shared that Trump's Working Families Tax Cuts bill gave her and her husband a tax refund twice of what they expected.
{{#rendered}}DALLAS — Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois is urging voters to ignore the Republicans' first-ever midterm convention.
"Voters can see through the BS that Republicans are spewing," Pritzker told reporters at a Democratic National Committee-hosted counter programming news conference across the street from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, the site of this week’s first-ever Republican midterm convention.
With less than two months until the midterm elections — and early voting just weeks away — President Donald Trump and the GOP kicked off their convention Wednesday as Republicans fight to keep control of Congress.The GOP's playbook for the convention, which comes as Republicans face energized Democrats and political headwinds as they defend their slim House and Senate majorities, is to motivate the party's base and boost turnout in key races that will determine control of Congress.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., delivered a surprise video message at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, praising President Donald Trump and Republican Sen. Dave McCormick while distancing himself from the Democratic Party’s left wing.
“I’m a commonsense Democrat. I’m always going to stand with America,” Fetterman said. “I’m always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life.”
Fetterman introduced McCormick, who is seeking re-election, as “the kind of senator that gets the job done” and someone who will “fight for Pennsylvania.”
Standing in front of a U.S. steel mill, Fetterman praised McCormick and Trump for supporting Pennsylvania’s steel industry, a key sector in the battleground state.
“That’s exactly the kind of thing that we will work together and will work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way of life right here in the Steel Valley,” he said.
The appearance highlighted Fetterman’s increasingly strained relationship with Democrats, particularly over Israel, immigration and Trump’s military actions against Iran.
“A different party,” Fetterman said of McCormick. “But I’m proud to count him as my great friend.”
Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, warned that Democrats are preparing to usher in what he called “Woke 2.0” during remarks at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas.
“The other side is telling us exactly what they want to do next: Woke 2.0,” Gill said. “The total destruction of America’s constitutional order.”
Gill accused Democrats of campaigning on abolishing the Senate, eliminating the presidency, shutting down the Pentagon and defunding the military.
“The fundamental question of this election cycle is whether America, as we know it, should even exist,” Gill said.
Gill’s remarks came weeks after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said “Woke 1 was crazy” while discussing past progressive positions on policing and other cultural issues.
{{#rendered}}Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, framed the terms of the 2026 midterm elections as a clear-cut question facing voters in November.
“This election is very clear. It's the mainstream versus the extreme. Because there's another political movement in our country right now that doesn't believe that America is or ever was great,” Gill said.
Gill, a rising star in the House GOP, is the most recent Republican at the GOP’s Dallas convention to link a tide of progressive candidates to the fiber of the Democratic Party itself.
In the midterm primaries, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has gained momentum, advocating for policy priorities like abolishing the Senate and a greater redistribution of wealth.
While many Democrats have shied away from embracing similar stances, Republicans like Gill have pointed out that the DSA seems to be the part of the party enjoying the most momentum.
“They sometimes call themselves socialists. Some even call themselves communists. But most of them simply go by Democrats,” Gill said.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is expected to appear in a video at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday night, where he will praise President Donald Trump and Republican Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick, Axios reported.
Fetterman is expected to praise Trump and McCormick for their support of Pennsylvania’s steel industry, a politically important sector in the battleground state.
Fetterman’s appearance would put a sitting Democratic senator in a supporting role at the GOP’s major campaign event less than eight weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
It could also further strain Fetterman’s already fractured relationship with his party. The Pennsylvania senator has increasingly broken with Democrats on issues including Israel, immigration and the ongoing war in Iran.
Fetterman has said he would consider leaving the Democratic Party if it became “the anti-Israel party,” though he has not indicated that he plans to switch parties.
He also formed a joint fundraising committee with McCormick, an unusual arrangement for senators from opposing parties.
A party switch could complicate Democrats’ effort to reclaim the Senate, though Fetterman’s expected appearance does not signal that he is changing parties.
Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, opened his speech at the RNC Midterm Convention by joking about making a "land acknowledgment," mocking a practice commonly used at Democratic political events.
“Now, I think it's only appropriate that we kick this convention off properly,” Gill said. “With a land acknowledgment,” prompting laughter from the audience.
“I'd like to acknowledge that we stand here today in the great state of Texas and the United States of America,” Gill continued.
“The ancestral homeland of great American patriots, pioneers and explorers who put down roots, fought for freedom all over the globe and bled and died to build the greatest civilization ever known to man. My friends, we live in the finest country in the history of the world, and we're no longer going to apologize.”
Gill then turned his attention to Democratic congressional candidates, including Darializa Avila Chevalier, the Democratic nominee in New York's 13th Congressional District.
Avila Chevalier came under scrutiny earlier this year over a resurfaced social media post in which she wrote that she had forgotten to get napkins, “so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me.”
{{#rendered}}Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., unleashed a blistering attack on Democrats at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, calling Maine Senate candidate Troy Jackson a “communist” and labeling Democratic candidates across the country “dangerous, radical and weird.”
Scott also went after former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, accusing him of allowing criminals to remain on the streets, and criticized Josh Turek in Iowa and Chris Pappas in New Hampshire over their records on taxes.
He targeted former Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola and Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan, over their positions on former President Joe Biden, sports, Israel and American culture.
Scott said the attacks underscore the stakes of the 2026 midterm elections, which will determine whether Republicans retain control of the Senate and continue advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda.
“The only way to keep dangerous, radical and weird out of the Senate is a united Republican Party standing with our president, Donald Trump,” Scott said.
The South Carolina senator praised Trump for securing the border, cutting taxes and expanding domestic energy production. He highlighted provisions eliminating taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security.
“This is a battle for the heart of our nation,” Scott said, urging Republicans to “keep the majority.”
Jackson is the Democratic nominee challenging Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, a closely watched Senate race.
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the Senate GOP whip, blasted the “radical” Democratic candidates who, in his view, are populating more and more of the Democratic Party across the country.
“Democrats North, South, East and West are running on this radical roadmap. They sound like an anti-American hate group,” Barrasso said.
Barrasso’s characterization comes as Republicans at the GOP Dallas convention have continued to highlight the slew of progressive candidates that have gained momentum in the 2026 midterm elections, tying their success more broadly to the direction of the Democratic Party as a whole.
Barrasso warned listeners that their potential election could reshape the landscape of American politics.
“This cannot be the future of our country,” Barrasso said.
“We just celebrated 250 years of the signing of the Declaration of Independence — the Document that protects and that guarantees our freedom and our liberty. The 56 signers of the Declaration gave us 250 years of freedom of liberty. That's what's at stake. November 3rd. Our future is on the ballot.”
Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, said voters recognize that while affordability remains a top-of-mind issue, President Donald Trump has made significant strides in stabilizing the post-pandemic economy.
“I think that most voters also recognize that inflation peaked at 9% under the Biden administration, and President Trump has brought it down to the two to 3% range,” Gill said on “The Will Cain Show.”
“I think most Americans can feel the fact that the price of prescription drugs are down 60% under this Trump administration, and I think they also recognize that so many of the economic hardships that they have felt over the past several years were created by the Biden administration, predominantly by open borders, which has suppressed American wages and made life tangibly worse, made the quality of their schools, the quality of their health care tangibly worse, and they can see who's who is at fault and who has made their lives better,” Gill continued.
Affordability is a leading issue for voters in the midterm elections and could factor into the GOP’s efforts to maintain control of Congress.
{{#rendered}}President Donald Trump is set to deliver the keynote address Wednesday night at the first Republican midterm convention in Dallas, where he is expected to rally the party ahead of the November elections.
Trump is expected to speak at 9 p.m. Eastern time.
The speech will give Trump a high-profile platform to promote his agenda and urge Republicans to turn out for the midterms, which will determine control of Congress. It also comes as some Republican candidates in competitive races have chosen to skip the convention, a decision Trump brushed aside earlier Wednesday.
“Everybody wants to come,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews before departing for Texas, suggesting the event could not accommodate every Republican candidate.
Trump is also expected to address the economic and national security stakes shaping the midterm campaign, including the war with Iran and rising energy prices.
He said he believes Iran’s war effort will end immediately after the election, adding that the country “can’t hold out any longer.”
Trump acknowledged that gas prices are unlikely to fall before then but said an end to the conflict could send oil prices lower.
Trump also said Russian President Vladimir Putin is eager to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, despite continued Russian attacks on Kyiv.
His remarks set the stage for a speech focused on Republican unity, Trump’s foreign policy agenda and the fight to keep Congress in GOP hands.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., warned that Democrats could pursue another impeachment effort against President Donald Trump if they win control of the House in November.
“I call it the Bolshevik Revolution and the Democrat Party. And if they get back the gavel, let me tell you what they will do. You know what they will do: impeach the President. Trump and his cabinet,” Scalise said.
Scalise’s warning was among the consequences Republicans highlighted at their Texas convention Wednesday as they sought to underscore the stakes of losing their congressional majorities in the 2026 midterm elections.
Scalise also predicted Democrats would try to roll back parts of Trump’s legislative agenda that Republicans enacted last year.
“They will repeal — they've said they'll do this — they will repeal no tax on overtime. No tax on tips. They've said they'll raise taxes on every hardworking American. They want to go back to open borders [and] allow illegals to vote.”
Michael Whatley, the former National Republican Committee chairman, blasted his opponent in a heated race for U.S. Senate in North Carolina at the GOP Texas convention on Wednesday evening.
“Roy Cooper was the worst governor in the history of North Carolina. The American Dream and families all across our nation are under assault today, thanks to the radical, extreme policies of Democrats like Roy Cooper,” Whatley said.
Cooper, who served as the governor of the Tar Heel State from 2001 to 2017, is viewed by many Democrats as the best chance the party has to win over a Republican-leaning state and flip the seat of outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.
Whatley continued to hammer Cooper on what he called a degradation of the state’s living conditions.
“North Carolina became the most expensive state in the nation for health care costs. Under his watch, health care companies have raised insurance premiums 183%, hurting our families' bottom lines as they already struggle to make ends meet thanks to the Democrats' reckless spending and record-setting inflation,” Whatley said.
{{#rendered}}Rep. Derrick Orden, R-Wis ., praised his fellow Republican lawmakers and President Donald Trump for securing $50 billion to fund medical care and healthcare infrastructure in rural areas through 2030.
“That is the largest investment in rural health care in the history of our nation,” Orden said during his speech at the RNC Midterms convention.
“This massive investment would not have been possible without President Trump's Working Families Tax Cut Act, and shamefully, shamefully, not one Democrat voted for it,” Orden continued.
Orden accused Democrats of spending months demonizing the passage of the Working Families Tax Cut Act.
“And now that millions of dollars are returning back home to rural communities, they're rushing to take credit for one of the largest investments,” Orden said. “No, no, no. You don't get to do that, Hakeem.”
Orden said that the investment in rural hospitals has made a major impact in his own community, sharing that doctors at River Falls Memorial Hospital can now spend less time about the hospital finances.
“Most importantly. hundreds of moms every year will not have to worry about where they're going to get their prenatal care or deliver their precious babies,” Orden said. “Remember every single Democrat in Congress voted against these amazing programs.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., warned Republicans that their agenda under President Donald Trump is at risk in the November midterm elections.
“None of those victories are guaranteed to last,” Scalise said during remarks at the GOP midterm convention in Texas.
Scalise highlighted what he described as the Republican record since Trump returned to the White House, including securing the southern border, deporting violent illegal immigrants, preventing a tax increase and delivering tax breaks for tips and overtime.
He also pointed to tax relief for seniors, farmers and small businesses, $50 billion in rural health care funding, cuts to federal waste and fraud, expanded American energy production, a stronger military and the return of manufacturing jobs.
But Scalise warned that Democrats would reverse those policies if they regain control of Congress.
“They will repeal no tax on overtime, no tax on tips,” Scalise said. “They’ve said they’ll raise taxes on every hardworking American.”
He also accused Democrats of supporting open borders, allowing illegal immigrants to vote in federal elections, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and defunding police departments.
“This is what we talk about when we say it’s commonsense versus crazy communist,” Scalise said.
Scalise urged voters to support Republicans “up and down the ballot” on Nov. 3.
“President Trump’s America First agenda is at stake,” he said.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the war with Iran could end immediately after the midterm elections, as Republicans seek to keep control of Congress while voters grapple with rising energy prices and inflation.
“I think the war is going to end immediately after the election,” Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One to travel to the GOP midterm convention in Texas.
The timing could carry significant political stakes for Republicans, who are expected to campaign on economic growth, national security and their ability to protect American households from higher costs.
But the conflict has pushed oil prices above $100 per barrel and driven the national average for regular gasoline to $4.22 per gallon, up from $3.19 a year ago. Diesel reached a record $5.94, according to AAA.
A prolonged disruption around the Strait of Hormuz could further raise fuel, transportation and food costs heading into the election, putting additional pressure on the party in power.
Trump said Iran is running out of options as U.S. attacks continue. “We’ve knocked out nine of their ships,” Trump said.
He said Tehran was also trying to influence the midterms by helping Democrats win.
“They’re desperate to try and affect the election so that we can get a nice weak group of people in there,” Trump said.
{{#rendered}}Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., delivered an impassioned appeal for legislation that would ban members of Congress and their immediate family members from owning or trading individual stocks.
Luna said she joined 15 colleagues in introducing the Restore Trust in Congress Act, which would prohibit lawmakers from using nonpublic information gained through their official duties for personal financial gain.
“Our founding father, Benjamin Franklin, once declared, ‘A republic, if we can keep it,’” Luna said. “His words were a wise warning because a republic is a fragile thing.”
Luna argued that public officials have a responsibility to serve the American people rather than build personal wealth through their positions.
“The American people deserve to know that those they elect to public office actually serve the American people, and not their own wallets,” she said.
Luna specifically criticized former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other lawmakers whose net worth has increased during their time in office, claiming they benefited from access to nonpublic information. Those claims were part of Luna’s broader argument that congressional stock trading undermines public trust.
She also criticized House Democrats who, she said, voted against increasing accountability and transparency for elected officials.
“Corruption has no party. It is a threat to us all,” Luna said, adding that Republicans are leading the effort to “restore trust in Congress.”
“It’s time we deliver this win for the American people and ban insider trading.”
The Republican Midterm Convention is underway in Dallas, where GOP leaders, administration officials and candidates are gathering to rally support ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Programming began at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday and is scheduled to continue through 10 p.m. ET.
President Donald Trump is expected to deliver the keynote address at 9 p.m. ET, according to the official convention schedule.
The first-of-its-kind midterm convention is focused on the Republican agenda and competitive House and Senate races across the country.
Viewers can watch live coverage from Fox News Digital here.
The Republican Party is also streaming the event live on YouTube.
The convention will continue Thursday, with programming scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET and run through 10 p.m. ET. Vice President JD Vance is expected to deliver the keynote address on the second night.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are not truly running the Democratic Party.
Instead, Scott argued that the party is being driven by far-left figures, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and online political commentator Hasan Piker.
“It’s Hasan Piker, it’s AOC and Mamdani,” Scott told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the GOP convention in Dallas, Texas.
Scott said that contrast will give Republicans a clear message heading into the 2026 midterm elections, when they plan to campaign on their record of improving jobs, education, public safety and the economy.
“We can talk about how we’ve improved jobs. How we’ve done everything we can to improve our economy. How we’ve improved education. How we’ve improved public safety. How we’re making our country safe,” Scott said. “What are they going to talk about?”
Scott said Democrats would instead promote “socialism” and policies he argued would undermine public safety, individual freedoms and capitalism.
“They want to eliminate the police, they want to take away all your freedoms and rights,” Scott said.
{{#rendered}}One of President Donald Trump's Capitol Hill allies is pushing a proposal that would make a key move in the U.S.-Canada trade war permanent.
Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., introduced legislation to formally rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America."
Trump executed the name change via a presidential order as tensions with the U.S.'s northern neighbor continue to escalate. But an executive order can be easily undone by another president. Permanently changing the name via an act of Congress is much more difficult to undo.
"Look, when the president decided to rename the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of America, I said, 'Atta boy, let's go.' Let's start fighting to recognize the contributions that we've made. Why should we give or yield to anybody else? We're the United States of America," Patronis told Fox News Digital. "When he starts throwing out leverage like renaming, my job is to support the president."
Patronis spoke with Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the GOP's first-ever midterm convention.
President Donald Trump has left Washington, D.C. for Dallas, where he will address fellow Republicans at the GOP Midterm Convention.
Air Force One took off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 2:55 p.m. ET after an issue with an emergency inflatable slide was resolved, according to The Associated Press.
He is scheduled to address the convention on both Wednesday and Thursday
An emergency-slide deployment on the Qatari-gifted Air Force One raised questions at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday before President Donald Trump revealed it was all part of a safety check.
"They were checking it before, and they just wanted to make sure," Trump told reporters on the tarmac after exiting Marine One. "So they’ve, I guess, already put it up. They want to make sure everything works perfectly."
The unusual scene unfolded after Marine One rolled to a stop near the presidential aircraft, with Trump remaining aboard the helicopter as the slide could be seen extending from the plane.
The White House print pool reported spotting what appeared to be an inflatable emergency slide deployed from the right-side front door of the Qatari-gifted Boeing 747. The door is opposite the entrance Trump typically uses to board the plane.
This is an excerpt from an article by Stepheny Price.
{{#rendered}}President Donald Trump should highlight what his administration has accomplished in his first 1.5 years in office, such as a secured southern border and tax cuts, House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan told America Reports.
"I think it'll be a combination of laying out the agenda for the future, as well as highlight all of the things that we have done," she said. "We've set the table."
Trump is expected to address the convention on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Vice President JD Vance will meet with Republican delegations from three key presidential battleground states while in Dallas, according to reports.
Vance, who is keynoting the Midterm Republican Convention on Thursday evening, will talk at a morning breakfast with GOP leaders and activists from Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, The Associated Press reported.
The three states were some of the most competitive in 2024.
Vance has not said whether he plans to make a 2028 run for the White House.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker joined Democrats in Dallas on Wednesday to counter the first-ever GOP midterm convention, urging voters not to be distracted by the event.
“Voters can see through the BS that Republicans are spewing,” Pritzker told reporters at a news conference.
He cited President Donald Trump's record on the economy, the war in Iran, the trade war with Canada, and rising prices for gas, housing, and healthcare.
Pritzker also called Trump a “president suffering from dementia, who unleashed violence on our cities, who jacked up grocery prices, screwed our farmers, and now has you paying for his gaudy golden ballroom.”
Pritzker, who is running for a third term as governor, brushed aside questions about his own possible White House ambitions.
This Associated Press contributed to this post.
{{#rendered}}Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not make an appearance at the GOP's two-day convention in Dallas, Texas, this week.
Rubio will instead be meeting with Trump-friendly leaders across South America in hopes to secure trade deals with Ecuador, Peru and Columbia.
Rubio called the trip part of a broader “trend...of alignment with the U.S. and U.S. interests,” saying before departing Tuesday that Washington hopes to wrap up “good, solid trade deals” with all three countries.
Fox News' Gillian Turner contributed to this report.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer joined "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday to discuss the Republican midterm convention in Dallas and outline economic messaging ahead of the November elections.
Republicans are facing tough headwinds in the lead-up to Election Day, with parties in power historically losing big in midterm elections.
With an eye toward energizing the GOP's MAGA base, the Republican National Committee (RNC) on Tuesday announced the speaking order and times of this week's first-ever GOP midterm convention, and President Donald Trump will be the Primetime headliner both nights.
According to the list, which was shared first with Fox News Digital on the eve of the convention, the president will deliver Wednesday's keynote address, which is tentatively scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET.
Trump will return on Thursday evening at the American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas to close out the convention, with remarks after Vice President JD Vance gives the second night's keynote speech.
With less than two months to go until the midterm elections, Trump and Republicans are gathering in Texas for their historic confab as they aim to energize the party's base ahead of key races that will determine whether the GOP keeps control of Congress. Supporters of the president traditionally do not turn out in robust numbers when Trump is not on the ballot.
Democrats and Republicans traditionally hold large nominating conventions during presidential election years. But Trump last year floated the idea of a similar gathering ahead of the midterms to showcase the signature policy achievements he and Republicans in Congress have produced over the past two years.
The president called the convention "a truly Historic Event" and "a RALLY like none other!" when he announced it earlier this summer.
The convention comes as Republicans face energized Democrats and stiff political headwinds as they defend their slim House and Senate majorities in the midterms.
But Republicans are expected to paint a contrast, as they use the convention to spotlight the Democrats' leftward lurch and tie the entire Democratic Party to far-left and socialist proposals.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Paul Steinhauser.
{{#rendered}}This is an excerpt from an opinion article by RNC Chairman Joe Gruters.
Dallas is about to become the center of the political universe.
Republicans from across America are heading to the great state of Texas for the first-ever Republican Convention. We have one mission: defy history, grow our majorities and continue America’s conservative, commonsense revolution.
This will not be a typical political convention.
For two action-packed days, we will celebrate the results of President Donald Trump’s America First agenda, showcase the Republican leaders carrying that momentum into November and make our case directly to voters.
In less than two years, President Trump and Republicans have delivered lower taxes, a secure border, safer communities, and greater opportunity.
All while Democrats remain captive to the radical socialists riding roughshod over the values that make America great.
Americans remember what happened the last time Democrats were in charge.
They threw open our border, allowed dangerous criminals to pour into our country, put illegal immigrants ahead of citizens and watched prices rise at the highest rate in 40 years.
They attacked parental rights, pushed the gender mutilation of our children, weakened America abroad and made life harder for working families.
President Trump came back to clean up their mess.
DALLAS — The stakes couldn’t be much higher for President Donald Trump and Republicans.
With less than two months until the midterm elections — and early voting just weeks away — Trump and the GOP descend on Texas starting Wednesday for the party’s first-ever midterm convention, as Republicans fight to keep control of Congress.
The GOP's playbook for the convention, which comes as Republicans face energized Democrats and political headwinds as they defend their slim House and Senate majorities, is to energize the party's base and boost turnout in key races that will determine control of Congress.
"We are putting the president on the ballot," Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Joe Gruters emphasized in a Fox News Digital interview on the eve of the gathering. "That's exactly what we're doing with this midterm convention."
Democrats and Republicans traditionally hold large nominating conventions during presidential election years. However, Trump a year ago floated the idea of a similar gathering ahead of the midterms, to showcase the signature policy achievements he and the Republicans in Congress produced since he returned to the White House.
But Republicans are facing a low-propensity problem: MAGA voters who don't always go to the polls when Trump's name isn't on the ballot.
The GOP's solution: Hold what's been touted as a "Trumpapalooza."
"We have the best showman in politics in President Donald J. Trump," Gruters said. "He is the best vote getter for these little propensity voters. He's done it three times. He's going to deliver once again."
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Paul Steinhauser.
Republicans are meeting in Dallas, Texas, for the first day of the party's midterm convention on Wednesday, with Vice President JD Vance set to deliver the keynote address.
The first night will feature 53 speakers and items for the party members to hear, starting at 4 p.m. ET with the introduction of a tax cut plan for working families.
Speakers will also highlight the Department of Housing and Urban Development's ongoing crackdown against fraud, as well as the Great American Healthcare Act.
5:00 p.m. ET
Speakers will contrast GOP policies with Democrat proposals in "Two Visions for America."
Promote the SAVE America Act, which includes voter ID requirements and other election integrity measures.
6:00 p.m. ET
A candidate showcase will highlight GOP candidates running for office across the country.
Speakers will then highlight Republican victories on securing tax cuts and securing the border, followed by a celebration of "national pride and faith."
7:00 p.m. ET
The first primetime hour will open with a focus on trade and reshoring American manufacturing, followed by speakers highlight the GOP's fight for school choice and against gender ideology.
8:00 p.m. ET
Speakers will highlight the the GOP's push to crack down on crime and arrest violent offenders, as well as advocate for a ban on members of Congress trading stocks.
9:00 p.m. ET
Speakers will highlight economic success stories that have taken place under President Donald Trump's administration, followed by a keynote address for night one from Vance.
{{#rendered}}Live Coverage begins here