Trump's unusual role at midterm convention revealed as schedule goes public

EXCLUSIVE — DALLAS — With an eye toward energizing the GOP's MAGA base, the Republican National Committee (RNC) on Tuesday announced the speaking order and times of this week's first-ever GOP midterm convention, and President Donald Trump will be the Primetime headliner both nights.

According to the list, which was shared first with Fox News Digital on the eve of the convention, the president will deliver Wednesday's keynote address, which is tentatively scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET.

Trump will return on Thursday evening at the American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas to close out the convention, with remarks after Vice President JD Vance gives the second night's keynote speech.

With less than two months to go until the midterm elections, Trump and Republicans are gathering in Texas for their historic confab as they aim to energize the party's base ahead of key races that will determine whether the GOP keeps control of Congress. Supporters of the president traditionally do not turn out in robust numbers when Trump is not on the ballot.

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President Donald Trump, seen at campaign rally for Sen. Darline Graham at Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Aug. 21, 2026, will speak in primetime Wednesday and Thursday at the GOP's midterm convention. (SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

Democrats and Republicans traditionally hold large nominating conventions during presidential election years. But Trump last year floated the idea of a similar gathering ahead of the midterms to showcase the signature policy achievements he and Republicans in Congress have produced over the past two years.

The president called the convention "a truly Historic Event" and "a RALLY like none other!" when he announced it earlier this summer.

The convention comes as Republicans face energized Democrats and stiff political headwinds as they defend their slim House and Senate majorities in the midterms.

But Republicans are expected to paint a contrast, as they use the convention to spotlight the Democrats' leftward lurch and tie the entire Democratic Party to far-left and socialist proposals.

"The midterm election is about the future of our country. President Donald Trump and Republicans are fighting to launch the golden age of America while extreme liberal Democrats want to tear this country apart and create a liberal failed state with their out-of-touch and anti-American views,"," Republican National Committee chair Joe Gruters argued in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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Gruters emphasized that "the choice is clear in November and the American people will reject these liberal policies and deliver historic wins for Republicans across the country."

The DNC, which remains in debt and decided against holding a similar convention, sees the GOP confab as a chance to blast Republicans.

"While everyday Americans struggle to pay their bills, fill up their tanks, or put food on the table, Republicans are hosting a multi-million dollar celebration to satisfy an aging and erratic Trump and tie vulnerable Republican candidates closer to his failed agenda,"," DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer charged.

Witmer argued that "Americans don’t want a ‘Trumpapalooza’ — they want lower costs and affordable healthcare."

The convention will also serve as the GOP's closing argument heading into November. In the fight for the Senate majority, Republican candidates in some of the most crucial races will also address the convention.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the GOP nominee in Texas who is facing off against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in the race to replace Republican Sen. John Cornyn, will speak on the first evening. So will former RNC Chair Mike Whatley, who is defending retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis' seat in battleground North Carolina.

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Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general and Republican US Senate candidate, arrives to speak during a runoff election night event in Plano, Texas, US, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (Antranik Tavitian/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio, who is in a pitched fight with former longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, will also address the crowd, as will Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia, the Republican challenger taking on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in swing state Georgia.

Former Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, who is hoping to flip a Democrat-held open seat in the key Great Lakes battleground as he runs against far-left Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, speaks on Thursday evening.

In the battle for the House, where the GOP holds a razor-thin majority, incumbents and candidates in competitive races will also be in the speaking spotlight.

They include Reps. Monica De La Cruz of Texas, Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania, and candidates Mike LiPetri of New York and Jay Feely of Arizona on Wednesday night.

Among the House Republican incumbents and candidates in close races speaking on Thursday are Reps. Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania and Mike Lawler of New York, along with nominees Greg Cunningham of New Mexico, Derrick Merrin of Ohio and Eric Flores of Texas.

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The American Airlines Center, as preparations are underway for the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas, U.S., September 7, 2026 ( )

Speaker Mike Johnson will speak on Thursday evening, according to the RNC schedule.

Johnson's Senate counterpart, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota), is notably absent from the list of speakers released by the RNC. But a source familiar with the planning tells Fox News Digital that Thune will be in Dallas, with a full schedule that includes helping Senate candidates fundraise.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who is running for a fourth term leading the Lone Star State, speaks on Thursday. So does Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, the conservative firebrand who is not on the ballot this year but could make a second White House bid in 2028.

Meanwhile, some of the biggest names in Trump's Cabinet are scheduled to speak, including Attorney General Todd Blanche and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday evening, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who spearheaded the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, on Thursday evening.