The GOP’s “Trump-a-Palooza” midterm convention in Dallas got off to a rocky start on Wednesday as reporters clocked long lines in the heat waiting to get inside, many empty seats, and the “L” in “Dallas” fell off the podium at one point.
PBS White House Correspondent Liz Landers posted a clip of the American Airlines Center in Dallas captioned, “Republican midterm convention officially kicking off in Dallas.” The clip showed most of the arena’s seats to be largely empty, with a decent-sized crowd gathered on the floor and in the seats closer to the stage.
Critics were quick to share the clip and pounce on the crowd size. “Capacity-wise they could have held this in a high school gym,” wrote former House Democratic staffer Aaron Fritschner.
At the Wednesday midterm convention in Dallas, the GOP showrunners tried to warn their audience about the politics of the left by posting a picture of progressive political commentator Hasan Piker in his underwear. Piker has often been criticized because of his far-left views, but the GOP's attack left onlookers baffled by what the party's angle must have been.
"What demographic are they going after?" asked writer Joe Flood.
MeidasTouch, a political news network, described the picture as a "thirst trap." Others noted that the picture blurred out his underwear but nothing else.
As they took the stage at the party’s unusual midterm gathering in Dallas on Wednesday night, amid growing Republican anxiety about the midterm elections, speaker after speaker focused on what they characterized as an urgent threat to American life: a Democratic Party they claimed had veered beyond its traditional liberal principals into a dangerous, un-American ideology.
Democrats running for Congress were “evil.” They were “communists and anarchists.” And they wanted to turn the country into “a socialist hellscape.”
[. . .]
President Trump has long been a master of the politics of fear, regularly stoking anxiety about immigration and crime.
Now, as his party faces its most difficult political environment in years, the president and his supporters are attempting — once more — to channel fear into electoral victory. It’s a strategy that is both old and new, playing off the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America to stoke Cold War-era fears of communism and socialism.
Joey Garrison and Zac Anderson (USA TODAY) report:
After entering American Airlines Center to loud cheers and chants of "USA," Trump quickly declared the arena "packed" and claimed people who couldn't get in were standing outside. But large sections of seats remained empty across the venue's upper level.
Though the president's unpopularity in polls threatens to drag down some Republican midterm candidates, he called for his supporters to come out in numbers that twice catapulted him into the White House.
[. . .]
Republicans filtering into the American Airlines Center for the first day of the convention walked past a vendor selling Trump golf balls, Trump rubber ducks, Trump Bibles, MAGA guitars, and plenty of MAGA hats as a country band played amid sweltering 97-degree Texas heat. An outdoor vendor called the "47 Make It Great Again Grill" sold burgers to attendees.
[. . .]
As the U.S. military escalates strikes again on Iran, convention speakers repeatedly skipped any mention of a war that is weighing on the GOP heading into the heart of the midterm elections.
That's not surprising. The war is deeply unpopular with voters and has divided Republicans, with prominent MAGA leaders criticizing a conflict that clashes with Trump's campaign rhetoric and has dragged on his approval rating as it nears the seven-month mark.
The price of Brent crude oil is approaching $100 a barrel again, while the average price of gasoline remains about $4 a gallon. High energy prices have contributed to cost-of-living concerns for voters.
“The biggest liability in American politics right now is Donald Trump -- and he just proved it. Republicans now have to spin his disastrous, rambling speech when it’s clear that this bizarre dog-and-pony show is being held to placate Trump’s fragile ego. Tonight was a desperate attempt by Republicans to ignore the reality that all of their vulnerable candidates are poised to lose in November, even as they try to distance themselves from Trump and his rock bottom 33 percent approval rating.
“While Republicans throw a party this week for Donald Trump, a guy who has raised the cost of healthcare, gas, and groceries, here’s what Democrats are doing: We’re registering voters. We’re organizing. We’re preparing to win in November.
“Democrats are winning races at a historic rate because Americans are tired of Donald Trump, and tonight only confirmed that the president is a lame duck failure who is dragging his party toward defeat.”
Donald Trump’s job market is in the gutter: Americans are struggling to find good-paying jobs or resorting to taking on multiple roles just to make ends meet as mass layoffs mount. Only 28% of American workers believe it is a good time to find a quality job.
New data last week revealed that private employers in July had the slowest pace of job creation since January — and the July jobs report similarly showed the economy shed 23,000 jobs. Over the last few months, the economy has created about 200,000 fewer jobs than expected.
Small businesses have been particularly hit hard in Trump’s disastrous job market, as the smallest U.S. businesses lost jobs for 5 straight months and are down by more than 70,000 so far this year.
Overall, last year was the worst year for job creation outside of a recession in more than 20 years, as the economy added less than 200,000 jobs throughout the entire year. Despite Trump’s promise to create a “manufacturing boom,” his reckless tariffs have decimated the manufacturing sector, as the industry lost 108,000 jobs during the first year of Trump’s second term.
The number of job openings also plummeted by nearly one million last year, and Americans’ likelihood of receiving a new job offer in the coming months fell to the lowest level in five years. Meanwhile, workers’ satisfaction with wages and promotion opportunities fell to the lowest level on record, as high prices continue to swallow up earnings and job opportunities remain scarce. Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate recently dropped to its lowest level in 50 years outside of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump himself has previously warned that a drop in the labor force participation rate could indicate an impending recession.
It came amid recent speculation that Mr. Fetterman could switch parties, a move he has said he would “never” make but has appeared more likely as his breaks with his own party have become more frequent and bitter.
His decision to take part in Mr. Trump’s convention appeared designed for maximum shock value and served as a boost for Republicans’ otherwise lackluster gathering, which many of their most vulnerable incumbents and candidates have opted to skip as they work to gain some distance from an unpopular president.
At the height of Mr. Fetterman’s popularity with Democrats, he briefly harbored aspirations to run for president in 2028, according to former aides. Instead, frustrated with his own party and his standing within it, and aware of the attention he garners for criticizing it, he has sought allies on the other side of the political aisle.
In recent months, Mr. Fetterman has amped up his flirtations with Republicans, while still vowing that he would never actually switch parties. In July, he set up an unusual joint fund-raising committee with Mr. McCormick, with whom he has established a close, personal bond. And he has said that if his party officially turned against Israel, as some of its most progressive voices are urging, it would be the “red line” that would force him to leave.
After finishing his speech and walking off the stage at Wednesday's Trumpapalooza in Dallas, Turner appeared to try to smack the rear end of MAGA Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) as she walked by him.
The political news network MeidasTouch reported that the "bizarre moment" that happened in a split second during the event was first spotted by MeidasTouch digital editor Acyn Torabi.
Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to make his first appearance at the Republican midterm convention Thursday.
President Donald Trump is also scheduled to speak again, following a nearly two-hour speech Wednesday night that covered immigration, the economy, crime, healthcare and other topics.
"I think war is going to end immediately after the election because they can't hold out any longer. They're desperate to try and affect the election," he told reporters before departing for the Republican National Convention in Dallas.
Trump's war with Iran has recently entered its seventh month with no immediate end in sight. On Wednesday, Iran said it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. sank five Iranian oil tankers. The renewed fighting sent the price of oil surging with benchmark Brent crude future breaching $100 a barrel for the first time since July.
He's in no rush to end it, he's making money off it. Hafiz Rashid (THE NEW REPUBLIC) notes:
President Trump has made millions on his oil and gas investments thanks to the Iran war.
CNBC reports that the president’s investment holdings continued to trade energy stocks during the first six months of the war. Between February 27 and August 31, his nine largest fuel assets grew between $1.5 million and $4.4 million, the network estimates, referring to his annual financial disclosure.
Trump reported owning stock in Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, Kinder Morgan, Marathon Petroleum, Occidental Petroleum, Phillips 66, Valero Energy, and the Williams Companies. CNBC calculated Trump’s gains based on what he said in his June disclosure about his assets, looking at how each stock performed over the six-month period.
The last time Trump disclosed any stock trades was June 29, so the data is incomplete. It’s also hard to get a completely accurate estimate as Trump’s disclosure doesn’t reveal exact share counts.
Senator Murray secured $2 million for MLK Labor’s Union Hiring Hall
ICYMI: Murray Introduces Legislation to Protect Kids as Child Labor Violations Surge and Trump Undermines Enforcement
ICYMI: Murray Reintroduces Bicameral Legislation to Combat Wage Theft, Strengthen Workers’ Rights
***PHOTOS OF EVENT HERE***
Seattle, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), held a roundtablewith labor leaders from across King County to discuss the dangers of Trump’s anti-worker agenda and why it is more important than ever for Congress to focus on a pro-worker agenda. This Congress Murray has introduced a host of labor bills to crack down on child labor violations, wage theft by giant corporations, and to strengthen workers’ rights overall.
“We’re living through a moment in time where AI companies are pretty much all forecasting major disruption—major job loss. Well, I can’t think of a time when a union contract and strong labor laws would matter more! We can’t let a handful of companies redefine the economy on their own terms—this is a moment in history where we have to make sure workers have their say in the future of work,” said Senator Murray. “This administration doesn’t care what happens to working people as long as the ultra-rich can get richer. We need to consider what a healthy economy really means—it’s not just the stock market, it’s whether regular people can afford their groceries, a home, retirement—a good life. That’s what I’m fighting for.”
Senator Murray also met with workers who found jobs through MLK Labor’s Union Hiring Hall, a centralized website to find and apply for good-paying union jobs in King County—which Senator Murray secured $2 million in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) for in FY23. Last year, MLK Labor was unable to receive the CDS funds due to the Trump administration slow walking the award, but Senator Murray stepped in and was able to restore the funding. Since the Union Hiring Hall was launched, it has helped thousands of people secure jobs with good benefits and union protections.
Joining Senator Murray for the roundtable were: Katie Garrow, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of MLK Labor; Dustin Lambro, President of MLK Labor and Political and Organizing Director at UFCW 3000; Rigoberto Valdez, Jr., Executive Director of the People’s Organizing Center; Shaunie Wheeler, Deputy Executive Secretary-Treasurer of MLK Labor; Corina Yballa, Political Director at MLK Labor; Samantha Grad, Political Director at Teamsters 117; Jennifer Bacon, President of IATSE Local 15; Clementine Trujillo, Hiring Hall Manager at IATSE Local 15; Zenia Javalera, President of SEIU 6 Property Services NW; Greg Ramirez, Deputy Director of SEIU 6 Property Services NW; Pia Rivera-Jones Deputy Executive Director of the People’s Organizing Center; Nick Peter’s, Director of Digital Strategy & Messaging at MLK Labor.
“When we launched our first union job board during the COVID-19 shutdowns, the platform was massively influential for local union employers at a time that the workforce was unprecedentedly sparse. Now that our economy has shifted, UnionHiringHall.org is serving as a game-changing avenue for workers across the Greater Seattle Area that are looking for high-road union careers,” said Katie Garrow, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of MLK Labor.
Senator Murray also detailed how she is fighting back against Trump’s anti-worker agenda and recently introduced a series of legislation that will strengthen workers’ rights and the economy.
- In June, Senator Murray reintroduced her Children Harmed in Life-threatening or Dangerous (CHILD) Labor Act which strengthens our ability to combat child labor by cracking down on employers who violate child labor laws with stronger penalties and allows children who have been seriously injured to sue their employers. The bill also expands child labor provisions to hold suppliers and subcontractors throughout the supply chain responsible.
- Senator Murray also reintroduced her Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act, comprehensive legislation that puts hard-earned wages back in workers’ pockets and cracks down on employers who unfairly withhold wages from their employees. The proposed legislation would give workers the right to receive full compensation for the work they perform and receive regular paystubs and final paychecks in a timely manner.
- Senator Murray also reintroduced her Restoring Justice for Workers Act, legislation to end forced arbitration clauses, protect workers’ ability to pursue work-related claims in court, and allow workers to band together to vindicate their rights.
- Murray is also an original author of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, comprehensive legislation to protect workers’ right to come together and bargain for fairer wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces.
As Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray also pushed back against the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to funding for workforce training programs and labor enforcement. In FY26 Senator Murray protected investments in key federal workforce training programs that she first authorized when she passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in 2014 and has funded every year since. She also rejected Trump and House Republicans’ proposal to eliminate the Women’s Bureau and protected $23 million in funding for the agency and included new language requiring that amount to be spent by the Bureau. In FY26 Senator Murray also secured $191 million for the Employee Benefits Security Administration for retirement security legislation and strengthened requirements to ensure private health plans comply with mental health and substance use disorder parity requirements. And she secured $260 million for the Wage and Hour Division to work to combat exploitative child labor and prevent wage theft and worker misclassification.
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