The Republican National Committee’s first-ever midterm convention is scheduled for September 9 and 10 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak on both nights, with Vice President JD Vance also appearing during the 2-day event.
The convention’s evening programming overlaps with the first 2 games of the NFL season. Most national networks had not committed to wall-to-wall coverage, although C-SPAN planned full coverage and Fox News and NewsNation announced special programming. Trump entered the event with low approval ratings as Republicans faced competitive House and Senate races ahead of the November 3 elections.
A first-ever convention faces a ratings fight
The RNC organized its first-ever national convention timed to coincide with the midterm elections. Party leaders wanted a large show to boost momentum before November. They picked Dallas and the American Airlines Center as the host site.
The 2-day event features afternoon and evening programming. Organizers built the schedule around speeches, panels, and tributes to party priorities. The RNC planned more than 100 speakers across the 2-day program.
The timing meant the convention coincided with the biggest nights in professional football. That overlap set up a rare contest for public attention. It also placed pressure on organizers to prove the format could work in future cycles.
Major networks limit their live coverage plans
Most national television networks had not committed to carrying the entire Republican midterm convention live. CNN said it would cover the gathering and show its most newsworthy moments, while C-SPAN scheduled gavel-to-gavel coverage. Fox News and NewsNation also planned special programming, with several Fox News shows broadcasting from Dallas.
The event is not directly comparable to a presidential nominating convention. It has no formal nomination, platform vote or other official party business and is structured primarily as a rally and fundraiser. Its evening schedule also overlaps with the NFL’s first 2 games of the 2026 season.
Viewers will still be able to follow the gathering through full-event coverage, selected television segments, news reports, online video and social-media clips.
2 marquee NFL games share the spotlight
The NFL is scheduled to open its 2026 season on September 9 with the New England Patriots visiting the Seattle Seahawks. The Super Bowl LX rematch is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams are scheduled to play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia on September 10. Netflix will stream the game beginning at 8:35 p.m. ET.
Both games overlap with evening programming at the Republican midterm convention, creating direct competition for live viewers.
Trump’s approval numbers remain historically low
A late-July AP-NORC poll placed President Donald Trump’s overall approval rating at 33%, down from 37% in June. The same July survey found that 28% of U.S. adults approved of his handling of Iran, down from 34% in June.
A separate Pew Research Center survey conducted in mid-July measured Trump’s overall approval at 34%. Pew found that his rating was lower than those of most recent presidents at comparable points in their administrations.
Low presidential approval can create difficulties for the president’s party during midterm elections, although its effect varies by race. Some Republican candidates in competitive contests are skipping the Dallas convention, while party leaders hope Trump can motivate core supporters.
Democrats choose to skip their own convention
Democrats are not holding a comparable national midterm convention in 2026. Instead, Democratic leaders planned campaign activity and counterprogramming around the Republican gathering.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sent 4 Democratic lawmakers to Dallas as part of that response. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene said her party would focus on candidates speaking directly with voters across the country.
The Republican gathering, therefore, does not have the political news cycle entirely to itself. It faces both Democratic counterprogramming and competition from the NFL season’s opening games.
The House and Senate maps stay competitive
Election analysts identify numerous competitive House and Senate contests heading into the November midterms. CBS News lists 12 key Senate races, including the Texas contest between Democratic nominee James Talarico and Republican nominee Ken Paxton.
Paxton defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the May 26 Republican runoff after receiving a late endorsement from President Donald Trump. CBS News reports that both the Cook Political Report and the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics rate the Texas race as a toss-up.
The Cook Political Report identifies 38 competitive House races, including 18 rated as toss-ups. Republicans also hold narrow majorities in both chambers, leaving control of Congress in contention.
Republican strategists question the event’s real purpose
Published reports described private frustration among some Republican operatives over the convention’s cost, organization and political purpose. House Republicans were initially asked to pay $25,000 for convention tickets and lodging, although vulnerable incumbents in the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Patriot Program received waivers.
Several Republican candidates in competitive races are skipping the gathering because of campaign obligations, costs or concerns about appearing alongside President Donald Trump. An Associated Press survey of more than 4 dozen Republican candidates found that most were not attending, remained undecided, or did not respond.
The convention ends 1 day before the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Its second-night program includes a segment honoring the families of first responders. Party officials say the broader event is intended to motivate Republican voters ahead of November.
History shows the NFL used to yield
In 2012, the NFL moved its season-opening game to Wednesday, September 5, to avoid conflicting with President Barack Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention the following night. The league made the decision independently, according to a Democratic convention official quoted at the time.
The NFL also moved its 2008 opener 1 hour earlier to avoid interfering with prime-time convention coverage. Those adjustments involved presidential nominating conventions.
The 2026 NFL schedule remains unchanged, with Seahawks–Patriots on September 9 and Rams–49ers on September 10, the same nights as the Republican midterm convention. Unlike in 2012, no schedule change preceded this convention, leaving politics and football in direct competition for viewers.
Little-known fact: In January 2026, the RNC changed its rules to permit a midterm convention; because Democrats last held comparable gatherings in 1982, the Dallas event is the GOP’s first and the first major-party midterm convention in 44 years.
TL;DR
- The RNC held its first-ever midterm convention in Dallas on September 9 and 10.
- The event overlapped with 2 NFL season opener games watched by millions.
- CBS and CNN limited their live coverage of the convention.
- Trump’s approval rating held at 37%, near historic lows.
- Democrats skipped their own convention while House and Senate races stay closely contested.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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