GOP Gamble on Trump to Save Midterms Amid Sinking Ratings

President Donald Trump and his Republican Party are taking the unusual step of staging a national Republican convention ahead of November’s midterm elections, gambling that a high-profile show of party unity can energize supporters and help Republicans defy historical midterm losses despite his low approval ratings.

The Dallas gathering has no formal business to conduct and comes less than two months before elections that could end Republican control of Congress.

An Unprecedented Gamble

President Donald Trump and his Republican Party are taking the unusual step of staging a national Republican convention ahead of November’s midterm elections, gambling that a high-profile show of party unity can energize supporters and help Republicans defy historical midterm losses despite his low approval ratings.

Unlike traditional party conventions, which are held during presidential election years to nominate candidates and approve party agendas, the Dallas gathering has no formal business to conduct.

Trump began floating the idea last year as a way to make himself the focal point of Republican midterm campaigns, amid concerns the party has often underperformed when he is not on the ballot.

The Stakes

The gathering at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Wednesday and Thursday comes less than two months before November 3 elections that could end Republican control of Congress and sharply constrain Trump’s last two years in office.

Trump is due to deliver a keynote address on Wednesday and give closing remarks on Thursday.

He will take center stage, speaking on both days.

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The Approval Rating Problem

Now, after months of negative headlines tied to rising living costs and the Iran war, and Trump’s approval rating of 33%, the lowest of his second term according to Reuters/Ipsos polling, some party insiders have told Reuters they are concerned the Republican National Committee may struggle to attract members and activists to the event.

Many of the candidates scheduled to speak are in tight races, including four locked in major Senate races and at least 10 in close contests for the House of Representatives.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged at a press conference last week that many Republican lawmakers will remain in their districts and not attend.

“It’s a critical time right before early voting begins nationwide,” he said.

The Risks and Rewards

Some Republican strategists warn the convention could backfire given Trump’s unpopularity and the fact he has repeatedly told Americans to endure the economic costs of the Iran war, saying high gas prices are worth paying to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Party officials say the convention offers a platform to refocus voters on Trump’s tax cuts, his efforts to secure the southern border with Mexico, domestic manufacturing and his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, including a push to lower drug prices.

Convention planners and many party insiders also view the event as the party’s best hope of energizing Republican voters, whose enthusiasm trails that of Democrats, according to opinion polls.

A Lesson for Nigeria

The Republican gamble on Trump is a reminder that political parties often tie their fate to a single individual, and sometimes that gamble fails.

For Nigeria, the lesson is clear: institutions matter more than individuals. The same leaders who make everything about themselves will never allow their own children to be dependent on a single person.

Build institutions, not personalities. Demand accountability, not loyalty. And never forget that no one is indispensable.