Donald Trump is throwing a Republican convention in Dallas to rally his party ahead of the midterm elections. A lot of Republicans apparently have other plans.
At least 45 Republican lawmakers and candidates have told Politico they will skip the two-day gathering next week, according to a survey of more than 70 GOP figures. Their reasons vary—from campaign obligations and family commitments to concerns about the event itself.
Now there’s another notable no-show: Melania Trump.
A White House official confirmed Thursday that the first lady does not plan to attend the Republican National Committee’s unusual midterm convention, which will take place September 9 and 10 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The official did not provide a reason.
And then there’s the money.
Some Republican lawmakers have balked at the reported $25,000 price tag for attendance. The fee includes tickets, hotel accommodations and access to receptions.
One Republican lawmaker was considerably less diplomatic. The unnamed member called the convention “a waste of time.”
“You shouldn’t be having to rally your base at this point,” the Republican told Politico. “You should be trying to convince independents.”
That’s a pretty fundamental criticism of a political event held less than two months before Election Day.
But Trump wants a spectacle.
The Dallas gathering is the first national Republican midterm convention of its kind.
Trump announced the event as an opportunity to celebrate his administration and rally Republicans ahead of the November elections. The RNC is pitching it as a major celebration of the party and Trump’s agenda.
Trump is scheduled to speak both nights.
And the event has become a serious fundraising operation, too.
Attendees can reportedly pay $88,600 for a photo with Trump and $250,000 for a roundtable with him. Vice President JD Vance will also participate, at lower—but still eye-popping—prices.
That has led some Republicans to wonder whether their time would be better spent doing something much more mundane: campaigning at home.
Michigan Rep. Tom Barrett, explaining why he would not attend, put it bluntly: “I can’t control what the president’s going to say at the convention, but I can control where I’m at, what I’m doing.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson has tried to put a positive spin on the situation.
“I’ve been promoting this everywhere,” Johnson said, while acknowledging that members would make their own decisions.
“But the people that do come are going to have a great time,” he added.
Melania Trump’s absence is particularly noticeable because the convention is being built around her husband.
The first lady has maintained a relatively low public profile during Trump’s second term, with far fewer public appearances than her husband.
She made a rare high-profile appearance at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where she joined Trump on the final night after he survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The convention is also landing at an awkward moment on the calendar.
It runs September 9 and 10, immediately before the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
And it coincides with the opening of the NFL season, potentially making it even harder for the GOP to capture the kind of television audience normally associated with a major political gathering.
Trump, meanwhile, is trying to turn the midterms into a referendum on his agenda while dealing with weak approval ratings and voter concerns about the economy and the ongoing Iran war.
Reuters reported that Trump’s approval rating was around 33% in late August, while Republicans are increasingly conscious that tying their campaigns too closely to the president could carry risks in competitive races.
That may help explain why some Republicans are choosing their districts over Dallas.
They have elections to win. And for some of them, apparently, a $25,000 ticket to a Trump-centered political spectacle isn’t worth the price.
Or, as one Republican put it: “A waste of time.”
