President Donald Trump headlined the opening night of the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas on Wednesday, using a lengthy address to make his case for Republican candidates heading into the November elections. Trump closed the first night of the two-day gathering at the American Airlines Center after hours of appearances by congressional candidates, party leaders and administration officials.
During his keynote, Trump urged supporters to approach the midterms as though his own name were on the ballot while promoting Republican candidates in competitive races around the country. He also discussed the economy, energy, immigration and other administration priorities, and pledged to return to Texas to campaign for Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton. Trump is scheduled to return Thursday night for closing remarks following Vice President JD Vance’s keynote.
2026 Republican Midterm Convention: Night 1
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Event: Republican Midterm Convention, Night 1
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Programming: 4 p.m.–10 p.m. ET / 3–9 p.m. CT
Keynote: President Donald Trump
Videos: Trump’s full speech and the complete Night 1 replay are available below
Full Video: Trump’s Republican Midterm Convention Speech
Trump delivered the opening-night keynote after Republican candidates, administration officials and party leaders spent the evening addressing the convention. Watch the president’s complete speech from Dallas below.
Full Video: Republican Midterm Convention Night 1 Replay
Watch the complete Night 1 program from Dallas below, including all six hours of convention programming and Trump’s keynote address.
Full Convention Replay: Watch directly on YouTube
Wednesday, September 9: Night 1 Speaker Lineup
The RNC divided the first night into hourly programming blocks, beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern and culminating with Trump’s keynote. The complete announced Night 1 lineup appears below.
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET
- Joe Gruters, RNC Chairman
- Heather Washburne, Host Committee President
- Pastor Jack Graham
- Rep. Monica De La Cruz (TX-15)
- Carlos De La Cruz, House candidate (TX-35)
- Everyday American, former Democrat turned America First grassroots leader
- HUD Secretary Scott Turner
- Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13)
- Rep. Derrick Van Orden (WI-03)
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM ET
- Everyday Americans, border residents and supporters of frontline law enforcement
- House Majority Leader Steve Scalise
- House Majority Whip Tom Emmer
- Michael Whatley, Senate candidate (NC)
- Everyday Americans, medical professionals
- Sen. Tim Scott
- Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen
- Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM ET
- Rep. Brandon Gill (TX-26)
- Pastor Lorenzo Sewell
- Paul Perez, National Border Patrol Council President, and NBPC members
- Ken Paxton, Senate candidate (TX)
- Rep. Rob Bresnahan (PA-08)
- Everyday Americans, factory worker, working mother and manufacturing success story
- Everyday American, retiree and senior tax-relief beneficiary
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET
- Sen. Jon Husted, Senate candidate (OH)
- T.W. Shannon, Oklahoma lieutenant governor candidate
- Sen. Dave McCormick
- Everyday Americans, factory workers, steel union members and shipbuilders
- Mike LiPetri, House candidate (NY-03)
- Rep. Mike Collins, Senate candidate (GA)
- Todd Blanche
8:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET
- Dr. Mehmet Oz
- Rep. Byron Donalds, Florida governor candidate
- Jay Feely, House candidate (AZ-01)
- Capt. Mike Bouchard Jr., House candidate (MI-10)
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
- Everyday American, working mother and economic policy advocate
9:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET
- Presidential Keynote: President Donald Trump
Trump Makes the Midterms Personal
Trump’s appearance underscored how heavily Republicans are leaning on the president to motivate voters in an election where he is not personally on the ballot. During the address, he told supporters to “pretend that I’m on the ballot” and highlighted Republican candidates including Paxton as he sought to tie the party’s congressional campaign to his administration’s record.
The Dallas gathering is the RNC’s first midterm convention rather than a traditional presidential nominating convention. There are no presidential nominees to select or delegates conducting the usual convention business. Instead, Republicans created two nights of candidate appearances, policy presentations and primetime speeches designed around the November campaign.
Night 2 takes place Thursday, September 10, with Vice President JD Vance delivering the keynote and Trump returning for closing remarks. Follow our 2026 midterm election coverage for the latest Senate, House and governor race information.