7 hours ago
1
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.
At a first-of-its-kind midterm convention, President Trump mostly offered retreads and self-congratulation. Then, he offered to pay Americans $5,000 apiece if Republicans kept power.
Video
Trump Promises Americans $5,000 if Republicans Win Midterms
Sept. 10, 2026Updated 9:17 a.m. ET
President Trump delivered an extended director’s cut on Wednesday of his pitch to keep Republicans in power. He spoke for nearly two hours at this year’s unusual midterm convention. But his message could also be summarized in a single line.
“Please pretend that I am running,” he said.
The president had used the line before, as he had many other parts of his speech. But he did roll out a potentially $1 trillion surprise: a questionable offer, light on details, to send $5,000 to every adult citizen — only if Republicans keep control of Congress.
The two-day gathering in Dallas was not calibrated as an opportunity to reach independent voters who could decide competitive House and Senate races. Instead, Mr. Trump and his allies tried to gin up enthusiasm among MAGA voters who tend to go to the polls in presidential elections but not in midterms.
Mr. Trump noted that the sitting president’s party typically lost in midterms. “We’re going to change that,” he said.
Some Republicans who spoke ahead of the president tried to touch on the biggest issues for voters, including the high cost of gas, rent and groceries. Mr. Trump dismissed those concerns as overblown.
Here are seven takeaways from Day 1 of his first-of-its-kind midterm convention:
Trump’s take on affordability: ‘It’s fake.’
Polls show the biggest liability for Republicans in the midterms is the high cost of living, and several candidates in competitive contests who took the stage before Mr. Trump made a point to emphasize the issue.
