Trump defends Iran war, slams Democrats and promises cash at
Republicans' midterm convention
[September 10, 2026]
By JILL COLVIN, THOMAS BEAUMONT and WILL WEISSERT
DALLAS (AP) — President Donald Trump capped Wednesday’s opening night of
the unusual Republican midterm convention by slamming Democrats as
extremists and staunchly defending the war in Iran while making the
extraordinary pledge to pay every adult American $5,000 if his party
retains its control of both chambers of Congress after November.
The proposal, which could cost at least $1 trillion, was financially and
politically implausible. But it reflected Trump’s apparent calculation
that he needs bold moves to revive Republicans’ chances as Democrats try
to take advantage of his low approval ratings in close races across the
country.
Trump reveled in making the upcoming elections all about himself, even
though it's unclear whether that will help or hurt his party. Many
Republicans are skipping the two-day affair in Dallas, while others
hoped their appearance would put them in the national spotlight as they
work to turn out Trump's supporters in a year without him on the ballot.
“If we hand America's future to the radical-left Democrats, our nation
will spend the next decade just getting back on its feet,” Trump said.
“Vote Republican and we will leave the world in our dust for generations
to come.”
The president urged the crowd to pretend he's running in November and
said there were about 35 key races in the Senate and House as his party
hopes to maintain congressional control. He pledged “to go to every one
of those states,” suggesting he might visit some repeatedly.
But Trump also frequently mentioned the unpopular war in Iran, even
seeming to acknowledge that it had hurt the U.S. economy. “We were doing
great,” he said before he approached his economic advisers to say, “I
hate to do this to you," explaining that he needed to start the conflict
because Iran was perhaps “two, maybe three weeks away from having a
nuclear weapon.”
Trump similarly defended imposing sweeping tariffs on U.S. trade
partners, insisting that the resulting economic turmoil would be worth
it in the long run.
His most dramatic comments, however, were to promise, “If the
Republicans win the Senate and House, because of our tremendous strength
and success economically, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen
in the United States of America for $5,000.”
The president said the only caveat would be that recipients spend the
money in the U.S. He provided no details on how such a plan would be
implemented but declared, “It will be called the Trump dividend.”
The convention was part rally, part fundraiser
The gathering took place as Republicans try to boost enthusiasm heading
into the final stretch before Election Day, despite voters' economic
concerns and dissatisfaction with the war in Iran. The event described
Democrats as communists, anti-American or even evil. Republicans called
themselves a “common sense” alternative.
Trump used several minutes of his speech to praise Republican Texas
Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is in a tough Senate race in what is
normally America's largest red state.
“He may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking
guy I've ever seen,” Trump said of Paxton, while adding, “he deserves to
be your next senator.”
The convention got a boost from an unlikely source, Democratic
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, who said in a video message that “I’m
always going to reject the extremes and socialism.” Fetterman, who has
clashed with his party’s leaders, referenced his state’s steel industry
in pledging to “work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel
way of life.”
A lineup of Trump and more Trump
Normal political conventions are held every four years and serve a
purpose beyond pomp and circumstance, with parties formally nominating
their presidential picks. This week's convention, by contrast, is The
Trump Show, through and through.
The walls of the arena where the Dallas Mavericks play were covered with
photographs of Trump, even in the elevators. Plenty of attendees wore
cowboy hats and boots and many sequins were on display — as well as
“Make America Great Again” and American flag caps and other gear.
People in the crowd waved signs reading “Republicans Are Fixing
Democrats’ Mess,” despite Republicans controlling the U.S. House, Senate
and presidency.
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People listen as President Donald Trump speaks at the Republican
convention, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julia
Demaree Nikhinson)
During the early hours of programming, speeches were delivered to
scores of empty seats, even in areas close to the stage. Crowds
began mostly filling them before Trump's speech, though areas in the
upper decks remained sparsely populated.
Trump will follow up Wednesday's address with closing remarks on
Thursday, after Vice President JD Vance gives his own speech.
“I’m not doing a big deal like this," Trump said, wrapping up his
opening night address that approached the two-hour mark.
Ray Washburne, co-chair of the Dallas host committee, said the event
is expected to draw roughly 30,000 people across both nights, but
getting airtime was challenging. The NFL season kicked off Wednesday
with a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England
Patriots. On Thursday, the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles
Rams will play in Australia.
Key candidates have their turns on stage
Speakers included Republican congressional leadership and Cabinet
members. Attorney General Todd Blanche also spoke, which is uncommon
for the nation's top law enforcement official, as Justice Department
leaders don’t typically address such events given the agency’s
tradition of political independence.
Blanche said Trump and Vance “put American families first. They
prove that order and prosperity go hand in hand.”
Republican Michigan Senate nominee Mike Rogers, who is facing off
against Abdul El-Sayed, isn’t giving his speech until Thursday
night. However, many opening night speakers singled out El-Sayed as
a sign Democrats were too radical.
There are 12 hours of programming over two nights, with 100-plus
speakers and segments focused on subjects such as tax cuts, fraud
allegations and border security.
Trump also hinted that he'd talk a lot about Iran even before
leaving for Dallas. As he spoke to reporters on the tarmac prior to
boarding Air Force One, the president said that oil prices — which
have surged because of the conflict — likely won’t come down until
after the midterms, a bit of economic forecasting that could darken
his party’s fortunes.
“Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling
downward,” he promised, as oil prices jumped more than 3% Wednesday.
Organizers say they're fine with some Republicans skipping the
convention
Some Republicans balked at high attendance fees. Republican House
members were being asked to pay $25,000 for convention tickets and
lodging, according to people familiar with the situation and granted
anonymity to speak frankly about the private arrangement.
An additional 2,000 tickets were distributed by the National
Republican Congressional Committee, largely to donors and others to
attend the convention. Other tickets were allocated to state parties
to distribute as they saw fit.
“Per the RNC, this is a ticketed fundraiser and rally, not a
traditional national convention,” the Denton County Republican Party
in Texas wrote in a Facebook post, which advertised packages from
$5,000 to $20,000.
Trump’s political operation, which has been sitting on hundreds of
millions of dollars, began spending heavily through a new group, the
No Going Back PAC Inc., the New York Times reported Wednesday. The
group has reserved $49 million in six competitive Senate races and
one competitive House race.
That’s in addition to the $10 million that MAGA Inc., Trump’s super
PAC, has spent on the Texas Senate race.
___
Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Michelle
L. Price in Dallas, Steven Sloan, Aamer Madhani and Lisa Mascaro in
Washington, Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Hannah Fingerhut
in Des Moines, Iowa and Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Virginia
contributed to this report.
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