Trump vows to be at centre of US midterms: Republican convention takeaways

Dallas, Texas – United States President Donald Trump has delivered a keynote speech on the first night of the Republican midterm convention , putting himself at the centre of the November vote despite not being on the ballot.

The first-of-its-kind event on Wednesday came as Republicans face a challenging midterm election to hold control of the House of Representatives and Senate. Losing either chamber would represent a major check on Trump’s power.

“When I’m on the ticket, Republicans always do very well,” Trump said to a friendly crowd at the American Airlines Center. “But for some reason, when a president wins… even if he’s a really good or great president, they don’t win the midterms.”

“We’re gonna change that,” he said. “So I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot.”

Vice President JD Vance was initially set to headline the first night of the convention, an event typically only held during presidential election cycles. No reason was given for the last-minute change. The convention was set to continue into a second night on Thursday.

Trump’s decision to put himself at the centre of the midterm elections by calling for a midterm convention has been seen as a political gambit, particularly as his approval rating has dipped amid the US-Israel war on Iran .

But Trump on Wednesday promised that he would be a major feature in the final stretch of the race, whether Republican candidates like it or not.

“We can win every one of those races,” he said. “But I’m going to every one of those states for congressman and for senators.”