Democratic Sen. Fetterman appears in surprise video at GOP midterm convention

• Unscheduled appearance: Democratic Sen. John Fetterman delivered a surprise video speech ahead of President Donald Trump’s keynote address tonight at the first-ever Republican midterm convention in Dallas.

• Mixed sentiment: Earlier, Trump shrugged off concerns about Republicans skipping the event, claiming there isn’t room for everyone. Privately, some Republicans are questioning whether the gathering strikes the right tone and if it’s helpful to divert candidates from their districts this close to the election or to appear with Trump, whose approval rating stands at 35%, according to CNN’s poll of polls .

• CNN’s 20/26 Vision newsletter: The road to the midterms starts now. Each week, Aaron Blake cuts through the political noise with sharp analysis of the races, candidates and trends that could decide control of Congress. Sign up here.

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman appears in surprise video at GOP midterm convention

Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA/AP

Sen. John Fetterman made a surprise video appearance at the GOP midterm convention, saying he will always “going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life.”

Fetterman is perhaps Trump’s closest Democratic ally in Congress, but the video is a shocking move for the first-term senator, who skipped his own party’s convention in 2024 and has become an increasingly toxic figure among Democrats.

Fetterman, who is strongly pro-Israel, has spent months distancing himself from the rest of his party, voting for some of Trump’s nominees and backing the president’s military actions in the Middle East. He has previously told CNN’s Manu Raju that he does not plan to leave the party unless it becomes officially “anti-Israel.”

In recent weeks, Fetterman has further alarmed Democrats by launching a joint fundraising committee with his fellow Pennsylvania senator — Republican Sen. Dave McCormick.

Fact check: Some GOP speakers take Democratic quotes out of context

Some speakers at today’s Republican convention took quotes from Democratic midterm candidates out of context.

Troy Jackson’s quote: GOP Sen. Tim Scott said Maine’s Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson “said he would’ve run as a communist.” But Jackson wasn’t expressing any support for communism. Rather, he was making a joke while trying to explain in 2017 why he used to be a Republican politician.

Jackson said he had just wanted to get into the state legislature any way he could to fix local problems, in what even the conservative New York Post described as a joke . Jackson added, “I would’ve ran as anything, I would’ve ran as a communist.” The Post reported the comment was greeted with laughs.

James Talarico’s quote: Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso said Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico “says he would lay out a welcome mat at our southern border.” Talarico has frequently spoken of laying out a border “welcome mat,” but Barrasso left out the second, more conservative part of Talarico’s favored two-part immigration metaphor. Talarico keeps saying the border should be like a front porch with “a welcome mat out front and a lock on the door.”

Here’s how Talarico explains the comment on his website : “We can both welcome the stranger — refugees, asylum seekers, and folks who want to contribute to our economy and pursue the American dream — and we can keep people out who mean to do us harm.”

Texas congressman calls out members of ascendant Democratic left wing

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Speaking at the Republican midterm convention, Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas slammed several left-wing Democratic candidates that prevailed in contentious primaries this year, using the examples as evidence that the party is out of the mainstream.

Gill specifically called out Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez, a pair of democratic socialists who won upset victories in New York House primaries earlier this year, highlighting their outspoken criticism of American economic and foreign policy.

And the Texas Republican – who received loud cheers from the hometown crowd, with his district just about a half hour from the convention site – broadened his condemnation to include state Rep. James Talarico , the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Texas, and Abdul El-Sayed , the party’s Senate nominee in Michigan.

“Now as we near the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Democrats are nominating Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, an extremist who sympathized with terrorists and who campaigned with a man who said America deserved 9/11,” Gill said, referencing El-Sayed’s relationship with the controversial leftist influencer Hasan Piker. “That’s extreme and deplorable.”

Minutes later, though, Gill sought to move past the rancor. “Our country will not go back to Democrats woke insanity,” he said. “We will not go back to divisive racialized politics.”

Fact check: Scalise’s false claim that Democrats voted to allow illegal immigrants to vote

Jessica Koscielniak/Reuters

During his convention speech Wednesday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise claimed, “Just last week, Democrats voted to allow illegals to vote in our federal elections.”

That’s not true. There was no congressional vote last week on whether to change the law that makes it illegal for non-citizens, including undocumented immigrants, to vote in federal elections.

Scalise was referring to the House vote last week on a non-binding Republican resolution – not a law – that included five separate statements. The first said the House “condemns and denounces socialism in all its forms.” The third “reiterates the notion that American elections are for American citizens only.” The fifth called for the passage of Trump’s favored elections bill, the SAVE America Act, which contains various provisions opposed by many Democrats.

The vast majority of Democrats voted “no,” but they could have done so for numerous reasons other than wanting undocumented immigrants to be able to vote. Again, nothing in the resolution would have changed voting law.

Thune not listed as convention speaker amid rift with Trump over elections bill

Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

Several members of Republican congressional leadership are speaking at the GOP’s midterm convention, but one prominent figure who’s not expected to take the stage is Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

Thune’s name did not appear on the speakers list put out by the Republican National Committee earlier today, though he’s expected to attend and told the New York Post that he would give others “a turn in the spotlight” and help with fundraising.

Thune’s relationship with President Donald Trump has been tested in recent months as Trump has pushed the Senate to pass his controversial legislation to overhaul US elections.

The president last month declined to support Thune to lead Republicans in the Senate for another term, telling Punchbowl News in an interview: “I don’t want to get into that.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso have already delivered remarks tonight. House Speaker Mike Johnson is slated to speak tomorrow.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott condemns Democratic Senate candidates in fiery address

During a fiery speech at the GOP midterm convention, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, ticked through sharp condemnations of each battleground Democratic Senate candidate.

He began in Texas, hosting the proceedings, lambasting “terrible” state Rep. James Talarico and leaning into culture war debates. “James Talarico claims there are six genders. He believes God is non-binary. He thinks God needs special woke pronouns,” Scott declared, referencing past rhetoric from Talarico .

Scott extended the critique to Sen. Jon Ossoff, the Democratic incumbent in Georgia and a top GOP target this year. He also ripped into former Sen. Sherrod Brown, seeking a return to Congress in Ohio, arguing that “we’re not going back to the days of Joe Biden and Sherrod Brown.”

Turning to North Carolina, Scott hammered former Gov. Roy Cooper and claimed he had “blood on his hands” due to his criminal justice policies. In a drive-by of Democratic candidates in Iowa and New Hampshire, Scott argued they “built their careers raising taxes time after time.”

Scott reserved special animus for Abdul El-Sayed , the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, calling him “dangerous, radical and weird.”

At times taking on the cadence of a vigorous preacher, Scott sought to fire up the crowd at the GOP gathering.

GOP doesn't have "leaders to brag about," Pelosi says

As some of the speakers rallied the audience at the Republican midterm convention today, a large photo of notable Democrats who have served as the GOP’s main foils was featured behind them.

They included former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

In response, Pelosi said President Donald Trump’s “numbers are so bad that they can’t put his picture up there.”

Pelosi, who was the only female Speaker of the House , criticized Trump’s war with Iran and tariffs for driving costs up for consumers, hitting the affordability issue that Pelosi said Democrats need to address during the midterms.

Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

“We’ve got to stay focused on what matters at the kitchen table of the American people,” she said, adding that Democrats need to prove to voters that they are “there for working families.”

The California lawmaker said she is not worried about the democratic socialist candidates who are running in battleground races. The Democratic Party is a “big tent” for everyone, she said.

Pelosi announced last year that she will not seek re-election in November after nearly 40 years in Washington.

This post has been updated with additional comments from Pelosi.

Video montage highlights Trump’s push to bar trans athletes from playing in women’s sports

A video mashup focusing on President Donald Trump’s push to bar “men from playing in women’s sports” was shown moments ago at the GOP convention here.

The montage included a clip of popular podcaster Joe Rogan and the president calling the move “common sense,” as well as live coverage from the Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold transgender sports bans .

People cheered enthusiastically in the arena.

CNN’s Maureen Chowdhury contributed to this report.

Midterm convention carries echoes of 2024 campaign

Brian Snyder/Reuters

The focus on culture wars, which features prominently in many of these speeches, are reminiscent of the key themes we heard repeatedly on the campaign trail in 2024. Even the Democratic “boogeymen” remain the same – with a focus on Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Tim Walz rather than the Democratic opponents Republicans will face in November

Battleground Republicans embrace Trump at convention

Multiple Republicans in battleground races embraced President Donald Trump and his policy agenda during speeches at the party’s midterm convention, despite recent polling showing nearly two-thirds of voters disapproving of Trump’s job performance.

Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a Republican from Wisconsin’s battleground 3rd District, signaled his ongoing support for Trump’s agenda. Hailing “our great president, Donald J. Trump,” Van Orden promoted tax cuts and rural health care funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. “He is fighting to make quality health care a reality for everyday Americans,” he said.

Meanwhile, former RNC chair Michael Whatley, running in the highly competitive North Carolina Senate race, also praised Trump’s “leadership” in the passage of the landmark GOP policy legislation – though it was the only reference to the president he made, keeping the focus of his remarks on criticizing his Democratic opponent, the former Gov. Roy Cooper.

Senate races are neck and neck in Maine and Michigan, CNN polls find

The critical Senate contests in both Maine and Michigan feature tight races with no clear leader, according to new CNN polls conducted by SSRS. But voters in the two states see their choices through two very different lenses.

In Maine , the race centers more on likely voters’ broadly negative views of incumbent Sen. Susan Collins and President Donald Trump than on their impressions of the late-breaking Democratic nominee, Troy Jackson.

Michigan voters are more focused on the candidates’ issue positions amid an open-seat campaign featuring one of the most progressive Democratic candidates of this cycle in Abdul El-Sayed against former GOP congressman Mike Rogers.

No. 2 House GOP leader warns if Democrats win midterms, they’ll impeach Trump — again

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise offered a clear reason for GOP voters to show up at the polls in November — Show up, or the Democrats will win, and impeach President Donald Trump again.

“If they get back the gavel, you know what they’ll do. The first thing they’ll do is impeach President Trump and his cabinet,” Scalise said on stage in Dallas, predicting that Democrats would also try to abolish immigration enforcement and prisons and defund the police.

Scalise’s message to voters comes as he and other House GOP leaders devote much of their midterm operation to turning out Trump’s base as much as possible in November — relying on his voters to help them defy odds in a midterm election that historically rejects the party in power.

Democrats impeached Trump twice during his first term — a record number for any president in history.

This time, top Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have not endorsed the idea and have stressed to colleagues privately that they are not interested in using their powers to impeach the president a third time if they win back the House.

Impeaching members of Trump’s cabinet, though, is definitely on the table for Democrats if they win control of the House.

What Trump told reporters ahead of his GOP convention address

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

President Donald Trump will deliver the keynote address tonight at the first Republican midterm convention in Dallas.

Earlier today, Trump spoke briefly with reporters at Joint Base Andrews on his way to the convention, addressing concerns about Republicans sitting out the convention, the conflict in Iran and the price of gas .

Here’s what he said:

Trump shrugged off concerns about Republicans skipping his midterm convention , claiming there isn’t room for everyone even as some candidates locked in tight races are opting out. “Everybody wants to come,” Trump said as he prepared to fly to Texas.

Trump said he expects Iran will abandon its war effort after the US midterm election s — and he conceded American gas prices are unlikely to fall before then.

Trump added he believes Iran is near collapse and that it would seek an end to the conflict “immediately after the election,” prompting oil prices to tumble downward. “They can’t hold out any longer,” the president said.

He also said he had a “great conversation” with Vladimir Putin, claiming that the Russian president is eager to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine, even as Russia continues attacking Kyiv.

CNN’s Adam Cancryn, Kit Maher and Betsy Klein contributed to this report

"It’s important to call out the lies,” Democratic governor says of GOP midterm convention

Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said he’s in Dallas today as the GOP’s midterm convention gets underway because “It’s important to call out the lies.”

The governor went on to criticize President Donald Trump’s record, accusing him of not following through on past vows like lowering costs and ending wars.

“Whatever he’s promising for the future, you know he never delivers,” Pritzker said.

The governor said he thinks Democrats will take back majorities in the House and the Senate in November because of the party’s policies.

“Remember we’re the party who brought you Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act. We believe in all those things and those are the things that people want restored in this country and protected — the very things that Donald Trump is trying to take away,” he said.

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Here's what usually happens at party conventions

This is the first time Republicans have held a midterm convention and its function will be different than the Republican National Convention that happens before presidential elections.

The Republican National Convention takes place over four days every four years. In 2024 it was held in Milwaukee. The same year, the last Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago.

At the Republican National Convention, the presidential and vice presidential candidates for the upcoming elections are nominated by GOP delegates from each state and territory.

The nominations have already been decided in midterm primary contests so there won’t be any delegates or formal proceedings.

The main goal of today and tomorrow’s midterm convention is to get the base excited and boost Republican voters to turn out to the polls in November.

One thing that will be the same: The conventions provides an opportunity for Republicans to make their policies clear going into the election and to publicize some of the key elements of their platform.

Gas and diesel prices keep climbing

President Donald Trump acknowledged today that gas prices likely won’t fall until after the November midterm elections. That’s of little comfort to drivers who are feeling pain at the pump right now.

A gallon of gas cost an average of $4.22 nationwide on Wednesday, according to AAA. The price has risen sharply over the last few weeks, climbing from $4.01 a month ago.

It remains far above the $2.98 price tag in late February when the war with Iran began. Meanwhile, the national average diesel price hit a record $5.94 per gallon on Wednesday, according to AAA.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose 3.36% Wednesday and settled at $101.21 per barrel. It was Brent’s first time hitting $100 per barrel since July and its highest closing level since May 22.

CNN’s John Towfighi and Matt Egan contributed to this story.

Bracing for higher heating oil costs this winter? Tell us about it

Heating your home is expected to cost more this winter, at a time when many Americans are already struggling to afford higher prices for gas , groceries and other essentials.

Those who use heating oil are forecast to be the hardest hit as the continued US-Iran war has kept crude oil prices elevated.

Are you worried about higher home heating bills – especially if you heat with oil? Share your story using the form below.

"Keep The Majority": Topical signs laid out for convention attendees

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Convention attendees are showing their excitement with cheers and signs in Dallas.

Before the event started, organizers and volunteers laid out signs with different slogans. They included “Keep The Majority” and “Republicans Are Fixing Democrats’ Mess.”

Other signs are targeting key policy points for Republicans, including, “No More Insider Trading,” “No Tax On Social Security,” and “Housing For Americans.”

Republican nominees in key races in November are slated to speak during the program. Some signs had some familiar GOP names on them: Derek Van Orden, Ken Paxton, Michael Whatley and Carlos De La Cruz.

The signs look like the ones seen typically at President Donald Trump’s rallies, but notably, none of those spotted specifically said the president’s name — though he is looming large over the event.

CNN’s Elise Hammond contributed to this post.

New Republican super PAC spends nearly $50 million to reinforce GOP in midterms

No Going Back PAC, a new Republican super PAC reportedly linked to President Donald Trump’s political network, has reserved nearly $50 million in new fall ad reservations this week, targeting a series of critical midterms races.

The group also spent nearly $1 million on ad reservations in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District, where Rep. Scott Perry, a staunch Trump ally, is in a competitive reelection race.

No Going Back PAC first registered with the Federal Election Commission on September 1, and has disclosed little about its fundraising so far. Its first disclosure isn’t due until mid-October. But the group shares a treasurer with MAGA Inc., the leading pro-Trump super PAC, part of links first reported on by the New York Times .

MAGA Inc. reported more than $400 million in cash on hand in its most recent FEC report, and it has spent its massive war chest sparingly so far – putting just over $800,000 behind Darline Graham for the GOP Senate nomination in South Carolina, and recently spending $10 million supporting Ken Paxton in the unusually competitive Texas Senate race.

The new buys from No Going Back PAC are a significant infusion of campaign cash as Republicans strategize about resources across a competitive midterms landscape. It ranks as the fifth largest advertiser targeting federal races over the final eight weeks of the midterm elections.

• 意外亮相：民主党参议员约翰·费特曼在今晚唐纳德·特朗普总统于达拉斯举行的首届共和党中期选举大会上发表主旨演讲之前，发表了一段令人意外的视频演讲。

• 舆论褒贬不一：此前，特朗普对共和党人缺席此次活动的担忧不以为然，声称场地有限，容不下所有人。但私下里，一些共和党人质疑此次集会的基调是否恰当，以及在临近选举之际，让候选人离开各自选区或与支持率仅为35%的特朗普一同露面是否真的有益（根据CNN的民调汇总）。

• CNN《20/26 视野》新闻简报：中期选举之路已然开启。每周，亚伦·布莱克都会以犀利的分析，拨开政治迷雾，深入剖析可能决定国会控制权的选情、候选人和趋势。点击此处订阅。

民主党参议员约翰·费特曼在共和党中期选举大会上意外现身视频。

迈克尔·布罗克斯坦/西帕美国/美联社

参议员约翰·费特曼在共和党中期选举大会上意外地以视频形式露面，表示他将始终“拒绝极端主义、社会主义和那种反美的生活方式”。

费特曼或许是特朗普在国会中最亲密的民主党盟友，但对于这位第一任参议员来说，这段视频是一个令人震惊的举动。他缺席了自己党在 2024 年的代表大会，并且在民主党人中越来越不受欢迎。

费特曼是坚定的亲以色列人士，几个月来他一直与党内其他成员保持距离，投票支持特朗普的部分提名人选，并支持总统在中东的军事行动。他此前曾告诉CNN的马努·拉朱，除非民主党正式成为“反以色列”政党，否则他不打算退党。

最近几周，费特曼与他的宾夕法尼亚州同僚——共和党参议员戴夫·麦考密克——成立了一个联合筹款委员会，这进一步激怒了民主党人。

事实核查：一些共和党演讲者断章取义地引用民主党人的言论

在今天举行的共和党大会上，一些发言者断章取义地引用了民主党中期选举候选人的言论。

特洛伊·杰克逊的言论：共和党参议员蒂姆·斯科特称缅因州民主党参议员候选人特洛伊·杰克逊“说过他本来会以共产主义者的身份参选”。但杰克逊并非表达对共产主义的支持。相反，他只是在2017年试图解释自己为何曾经是共和党政客时开的一个玩笑。

杰克逊说，他只是想尽一切办法进入州议会，解决当地问题，就连保守派媒体《纽约邮报》都认为这番话是个玩笑。杰克逊还补充道：“我什么身份都愿意竞选，哪怕是共产主义者。”《邮报》报道称，这番言论引来一片笑声。

詹姆斯·塔拉里科的言论：参议院多数党党鞭约翰·巴拉索称，德克萨斯州民主党参议员候选人詹姆斯·塔拉里科“表示他会在南部边境铺上欢迎地毯”。塔拉里科经常谈到在边境铺上“欢迎地毯”，但巴拉索忽略了塔拉里科偏爱的两部分移民比喻中更为保守的后半部分。塔拉里科一直强调，边境应该像一个前廊，“门前铺着欢迎地毯，门上锁”。

以下是塔拉里科在其网站上对该评论的解释：“我们既可以欢迎陌生人——难民、寻求庇护者以及那些想要为我们的经济做出贡献并追求美国梦的人——也可以将那些意图伤害我们的人拒之门外。”

德克萨斯州国会议员公开批评民主党左翼势力崛起的成员

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

在共和党中期选举大会上，来自德克萨斯州的众议员布兰登·吉尔抨击了今年在竞争激烈的初选中获胜的几位左翼民主党候选人，并以这些例子作为民主党脱离主流的证据。

吉尔特别点名批评了达里亚利扎·阿维拉·谢瓦利埃和克莱尔·瓦尔德斯，这两位民主社会主义者在今年早些时候的纽约州众议院初选中意外获胜，吉尔强调了她们对美国经济和外交政策的直言不讳的批评。

这位来自德克萨斯州的共和党人——他的选区距离大会举办地只有大约半小时的路程——受到了家乡民众的热烈欢呼——扩大了他的谴责范围，将德克萨斯州民主党参议员候选人、州众议员詹姆斯·塔拉里科和密歇根州民主党参议员候选人阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德也包括在内。

“如今，在9·11事件25周年纪念日即将到来之际，民主党却提名了阿卜杜勒拉赫曼·穆罕默德·埃尔-赛义德，一个同情恐怖分子、曾与声称美国咎由自取的人一起竞选的极端分子，”吉尔说道，他指的是埃尔-赛义德与颇具争议的左翼人士哈桑·皮克尔的关系。“这太极端、太令人愤慨了。”

然而，几分钟后，吉尔试图缓和双方的敌意。“我们的国家不会重蹈民主党觉醒主义的覆辙，”他说。“我们不会重蹈分裂的种族主义政治的覆辙。”

事实核查：斯卡利斯关于民主党投票允许非法移民投票的错误说法

杰西卡·科斯切尔尼亚克/路透社

众议院多数党领袖史蒂夫·斯卡利斯在周三的党代会演讲中声称：“就在上周，民主党人投票允许非法移民在我们的联邦选举中投票。”

那不是事实。上周国会并未就修改禁止非公民（包括无证移民）在联邦选举中投票的法律进行投票。

斯卡利斯指的是上周众议院就一项不具约束力的共和党决议（并非法律）进行的投票，该决议包含五项声明。第一项声明称，众议院“谴责并反对一切形式的社会主义”。第三项声明“重申美国选举仅供美国公民参与”。第五项声明呼吁通过特朗普力推的选举法案——《拯救美国法案》（SAVE America Act），该法案包含多项条款，遭到许多民主党人的反对。

绝大多数民主党人投了反对票，但他们这样做可能有很多其他原因，并非仅仅是为了赋予无证移民投票权。再次强调，该决议中的任何内容都不会改变现行的投票法。

由于与特朗普在选举法案上存在分歧，图恩未被列入大会发言人名单。

伊丽莎白·弗兰茨/路透社

共和党国会领导层的几位成员将在共和党中期选举大会上发表讲话，但参议院多数党领袖约翰·图恩预计不会登台。

虽然图恩的名字没有出现在共和党全国委员会今天早些时候公布的演讲者名单上，但他预计会出席，并且告诉《纽约邮报》，他会给其他人“机会，让他们成为焦点”，并帮助筹款。

近几个月来，由于特朗普总统一直敦促参议院通过他备受争议的、旨在改革美国选举的法案，图恩与特朗普总统的关系受到了考验。

上个月，总统拒绝支持图恩连任共和党参议员，他在接受 Punchbowl News 采访时表示：“我不想谈论这件事。”

众议院多数党领袖史蒂夫·斯卡利斯、众议院多数党党鞭汤姆·埃默和参议院多数党党鞭约翰·巴拉索今晚已经发表了讲话。众议院议长迈克·约翰逊计划明天发表讲话。

南卡罗来纳州参议员蒂姆·斯科特发表激烈讲话，谴责民主党参议院候选人

在共和党中期选举大会上，南卡罗来纳州参议员、全国共和党参议员委员会主席蒂姆·斯科特发表了慷慨激昂的演讲，对每一位民主党参议员候选人都进行了严厉的谴责。

他从德克萨斯州开始主持会议，猛烈抨击“糟糕的”州众议员詹姆斯·塔拉里科，并深入探讨文化战争的辩论。“詹姆斯·塔拉里科声称有六种性别。他认为上帝是非二元性别的。他认为上帝需要特殊的、符合觉醒理念的代词，”斯科特宣称，并引用了塔拉里科过去的言论。

斯科特将批评矛头指向了佐治亚州民主党现任参议员乔恩·奥索夫，他是今年共和党的主要攻击目标之一。他还猛烈抨击了寻求重返国会的俄亥俄州前参议员谢罗德·布朗，声称“我们不会回到乔·拜登和谢罗德·布朗的时代”。

斯科特将目光转向北卡罗来纳州，猛烈抨击前州长罗伊·库珀，声称他的刑事司法政策让他“手上沾满了鲜血”。在对爱荷华州和新罕布什尔州的民主党候选人进行巡视时，斯科特指责他们“靠着一次又一次地提高税收来建立自己的政治生涯”。

斯科特对密歇根州民主党参议员候选人阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德怀有特别的敌意，称他“危险、激进、怪异”。

斯科特有时像一位慷慨激昂的传教士那样慷慨激昂地演讲，试图激发共和党集会上人群的热情。

佩洛西说，共和党没有“值得吹嘘的领导人”。

在今天共和党中期选举大会上，一些演讲者向听众发表讲话时，他们身后展示了一张著名民主党人的大幅照片，这些民主党人一直是共和党的主要对手。

其中包括前众议院议长南希·佩洛西。

对此，佩洛西回应说，唐纳德·特朗普总统的“支持率太低了，他们甚至都不能把他的照片放在那里”。

佩洛西是美国众议院历史上唯一一位女性议长，她批评特朗普对伊朗发动的战争以及征收关税，导致消费者成本上升，并抨击了民众的负担能力问题。佩洛西表示，民主党人需要在中期选举中解决这个问题。

朱莉娅·德马雷·尼金森/美联社

“我们必须始终关注美国人民餐桌上真正重要的事情，”她说道，并补充说，民主党人需要向选民证明，他们“是为工薪家庭服务的”。

这位加州议员表示，她并不担心那些在关键州参选的民主社会主义候选人。她说，民主党是一个包容所有人的“大帐篷”。

佩洛西去年宣布，在华盛顿任职近40年后，她将不会在11月寻求连任。

本文已更新，添加了佩洛西的补充评论。

视频剪辑突显了特朗普试图禁止跨性别运动员参加女子体育比赛的努力。

刚才在共和党大会上播放了一段视频混剪，重点报道了唐纳德·特朗普总统推动“禁止男性参加女子体育运动”的举措。

这段剪辑包括一段著名播客主持人乔·罗根和总统称此举“合情合理”的片段，以及最高法院维持跨性别者参加体育运动禁令的现场报道。

体育馆内，人们热情欢呼。

CNN的莫琳·乔杜里对本报道亦有贡献。

中期选举大会带有2024年竞选活动的影子

布莱恩·斯奈德/路透社

这些演讲中大量提及的文化战争，让人想起我们在2024年竞选活动中反复听到的关键主题。就连民主党的“眼中钉”也未曾改变——他们关注的焦点是乔·拜登、卡马拉·哈里斯和蒂姆·沃尔兹，而不是共和党将在11月面临的民主党对手。

在共和党大会上，摇摆州的共和党人拥抱了特朗普。

尽管最近的民调显示，近三分之二的选民不认可特朗普的执政表现，但在共和党中期选举大会上，多位共和党候选人在关键选区的竞选演讲中仍然拥护唐纳德·特朗普总统及其政策议程。

来自威斯康星州关键选区第三选区的共和党众议员德里克·范·奥登(Derrick Van Orden)表示，他将继续支持特朗普的施政纲领。范·奥登称赞“我们伟大的总统唐纳德·J·特朗普”，并力推《一项宏伟法案》(One Big Beautiful Bill Act)中的减税和农村医疗保健拨款。他说：“他正在努力让普通美国民众都能享受到高质量的医疗保健。”

与此同时，正在竞争激烈的北卡罗来纳州参议员竞选中的前共和党全国委员会主席迈克尔·沃特利也赞扬了特朗普在通过具有里程碑意义的共和党政策立法方面的“领导作用”——尽管这是他唯一一次提到总统，他的讲话重点仍然是批评他的民主党对手、前州长罗伊·库珀。

CNN民调显示，缅因州和密歇根州的参议院竞选选情胶着。

根据 SSRS 为 CNN 所做的最新民调显示，缅因州和密歇根州的关键参议院选举竞争异常激烈，目前尚无明显领先者。但这两个州的选民看待选举的角度却截然不同。

在缅因州，这场竞选的焦点更多地集中在可能投票的选民对现任参议员苏珊·柯林斯和总统唐纳德·特朗普的普遍负面看法，而不是他们对后来加入竞选的民主党候选人特洛伊·杰克逊的印象。

在密歇根州一个空缺席位的竞选中，选民们更加关注候选人的政策立场。本届选举周期中最具进步精神的民主党候选人之一阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德将与前共和党国会议员迈克·罗杰斯展开角逐。

众议院共和党二号人物警告称，如果民主党赢得中期选举，他们将再次弹劾特朗普。

众议院多数党领袖史蒂夫·斯卡利斯向共和党选民给出了一个明确的理由，让他们在11月积极投票——要么去投票，要么民主党人就会获胜，并再次弹劾唐纳德·特朗普总统。

“如果他们重新掌权，你知道他们会做什么。他们做的第一件事就是弹劾特朗普总统和他的内阁，”斯卡利斯在达拉斯的台上说道，并预测民主党人还会试图废除移民执法和监狱，并削减警察经费。

斯卡利斯向选民发出这一信息之际，他和众议院共和党其他领导人正将中期选举的大部分精力投入到尽可能地动员特朗普的支持者在11月投票——他们依靠特朗普的选民帮助他们在历史上往往不利于执政党的中期选举中逆势而上。

民主党人在特朗普的第一任期内两次弹劾他——这是历史上任何一位总统弹劾次数最多的一次。

这一次，包括众议院少数党领袖哈基姆·杰弗里斯在内的民主党高层人士并未支持这一想法，并私下向同事强调，如果他们重新赢得众议院，他们无意第三次动用权力弹劾总统。

不过，如果民主党赢得众议院的控制权，弹劾特朗普内阁成员绝对是他们考虑的选项之一。

特朗普在共和党全国代表大会演讲前对记者说了些什么

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

唐纳德·特朗普总统今晚将在达拉斯举行的首届共和党中期选举大会上发表主旨演讲。

今天早些时候，特朗普在前往大会的途中，在安德鲁斯联合基地与记者进行了简短的交谈，谈到了共和党人缺席大会、伊朗冲突和汽油价格等问题。

以下是他说的话：

特朗普对共和党人可能缺席中期选举大会的担忧不以为然，声称大会场地有限，即便一些选情胶着的候选人已经选择退出。“每个人都想来，”特朗普在准备飞往德克萨斯州时说道。

特朗普表示，他预计伊朗将在美国中期选举后放弃战争行动——他也承认，在此之前美国汽油价格不太可能下降。

特朗普补充说，他认为伊朗已接近崩溃，并将在“大选后立即”寻求结束冲突，这导致油价暴跌。“他们再也坚持不下去了，”总统说道。

他还表示，他与弗拉基米尔·普京进行了“很好的谈话”，并声称这位俄罗斯总统渴望达成协议结束乌克兰战争，尽管俄罗斯仍在继续攻击基辅。

CNN的亚当·坎克林、基特·马赫和贝齐·克莱因对本报道亦有贡献。

“揭露谎言至关重要，”这位民主党州长在谈到共和党中期选举大会时说道。

伊利诺伊州民主党州长 JB Pritzker 是 2028 年总统大选的潜在候选人，他表示，今天共和党中期选举大会在达拉斯举行，他来到这里是因为“揭露谎言很重要”。

州长接着批评了唐纳德·特朗普总统的政绩，指责他没有兑现过去的承诺，例如降低成本和结束战争。

“无论他对未来做出什么承诺，你都知道他从来没有兑现过，”普里茨克说。

州长表示，他认为民主党将在11月重新夺回众议院和参议院的多数席位，这得益于该党的政策。

“记住，是我们党为你们带来了医疗补助、医疗保险、社会保障、《投票权法案》和《民权法案》。我们相信所有这些，而这些正是人民希望在这个国家恢复和保护的东西——唐纳德·特朗普正试图剥夺的，”他说。

2026年中期选举即将到来。CNN推出“20/26愿景”新闻简报。

每周，CNN 的 Aaron Blake 都会以犀利的分析，拨开政治迷雾，深入剖析可能决定国会控制权的选情、候选人和趋势。订阅 20/26 Vision，这份每周新闻简报将聚焦今年的中期选举。

以下是政党大会上通常会发生的事情

这是共和党首次举行中期选举大会，其功能与总统选举前举行的共和党全国代表大会有所不同。

共和党全国代表大会每四年举行一次，为期四天。2024年，大会在密尔沃基举行。同年，民主党全国代表大会在芝加哥举行。

在共和党全国代表大会上，各州和地区的共和党代表将提名即将举行的总统和副总统候选人。

中期初选已经决定了提名人选，因此不会有任何代表或正式程序。

今天和明天的中期选举大会的主要目标是激发基本盘的热情，并鼓励共和党选民在11月投票。

有一点不会改变：党代会为共和党人提供了一个机会，让他们在选举前明确阐述自己的政策，并宣传其纲领的一些关键内容。

汽油和柴油价格持续上涨。

唐纳德·特朗普总统今天承认，汽油价格可能要到11月中期选举之后才会下降。这对目前正承受高油价压力的司机们来说，几乎没有任何安慰作用。

据美国汽车协会（AAA）的数据显示，周三全美汽油平均价格为每加仑4.22美元。过去几周，汽油价格大幅上涨，较一个月前的4.01美元有所攀升。

目前的价格仍远高于2月底伊朗战争爆发时每加仑2.98美元的水平。与此同时，据美国汽车协会（AAA）的数据显示，周三全美柴油平均价格创下每加仑5.94美元的历史新高。

全球原油基准布伦特原油周三上涨3.36%，收于每桶101.21美元。这是布伦特原油自7月以来首次突破每桶100美元大关，也是自5月22日以来的最高收盘价。

CNN的约翰·托菲吉和马特·伊根对本文亦有贡献。

预计今年冬天取暖油价格会上涨吗？请告诉我们您的想法。

今年冬天，家庭取暖费用预计将会增加，而此时许多美国人已经难以负担不断上涨的汽油、食品杂货和其他必需品价格。

由于美伊战争持续不断，原油价格居高不下，预计使用燃油取暖的人群将受到最严重的冲击。

您是否担心家庭取暖费用上涨——尤其是如果您使用燃油取暖？请在下方表格中分享您的经历。

“保持多数席位”：为大会与会者准备的主题标语

贾斯汀·沙利文/盖蒂图片社

在达拉斯，参加大会的人们用欢呼声和标语表达着他们的兴奋之情。

活动开始前，组织者和志愿者们摆放了写有不同口号的标语牌，其中包括“保住多数席位”和“共和党人正在收拾民主党人留下的烂摊子”。

其他标语则针对共和党的关键政策要点，包括“禁止内幕交易”、“不对社会保障征税”和“为美国人提供住房”。

计划在11月关键选战中发言的共和党候选人将在活动中亮相。一些标牌上印着一些熟悉的共和党人的名字：德里克·范·奥登、肯·帕克斯顿、迈克尔·沃特利和卡洛斯·德拉克鲁兹。

这些标语看起来像是唐纳德·特朗普总统集会上常见的标语，但值得注意的是，所看到的标语中没有一个明确写着总统的名字——尽管他在此次活动中占据着举足轻重的地位。

CNN的Elise Hammond对本文亦有贡献。

新成立的共和党超级政治行动委员会斥资近5000万美元，旨在巩固共和党在中期选举中的优势。

据报道，与唐纳德·特朗普总统的政治网络有关联的新共和党超级政治行动委员会“No Going Back PAC”本周预定了近 5000 万美元的秋季新广告位，目标是一系列关键的中期选举。

该组织还在宾夕法尼亚州第 10 国会选区花费了近 100 万美元用于广告预订，该选区的众议员斯科特·佩里是特朗普的坚定盟友，他正面临激烈的连任竞选。

“不回头”（No Going Back）政治行动委员会于9月1日首次向联邦选举委员会注册，但迄今为止，其筹款情况鲜有披露。该委员会的首次财务披露要到10月中旬才会发布。不过，该委员会与支持特朗普的超级政治行动委员会“让美国再次伟大”（MAGA Inc.）共用一位财务主管，这一关联最早由《纽约时报》报道。

MAGA Inc. 在最近一份联邦选举委员会报告中披露，其手头现金超过 4 亿美元，但迄今为止，它对其庞大的竞选资金使用得十分谨慎——仅向南卡罗来纳州共和党参议员候选人达琳·格雷厄姆 (Darline Graham) 投入了 80 多万美元，最近又花费了 1000 万美元支持肯·帕克斯顿 (Ken Paxton) 参加竞争异常激烈的德克萨斯州参议员竞选。

“不回头”政治行动委员会（No Going Back PAC）的这笔新广告投放，为共和党在竞争激烈的中期选举中合理分配资源注入了大量竞选资金。在中期选举最后八周，该委员会是针对联邦选举投放广告的第五大广告商。