Vance will give keynote speech on second day of GOP’s midterm convention

• On the stage: Vice President JD Vance will deliver the keynote address on the second day of the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Dallas, before the event is officially closed out by President Donald Trump.

• Last night: Trump promised Americans $5,000 payments if Republicans retain their House and Senate majorities this fall, but seemed to acknowledge today that the plan would require congressional approval . In his keynote speech, he offered no details on how payments would be funded.

• CNN’s 20/26 Vision newsletter: The road to the midterms starts now. Each week, CNN’s 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.

Republicans are trying to get voters' attention ahead of high-stakes midterms

Blake Fagan/AFP/Getty Images

The midterm elections are quickly approaching and a lot is at stake for Republicans as they seek to defend their narrow majority in Congress.

Without President Donald Trump on the ballot and polls showing deep dissatisfaction with the country’s trajectory, GOP leaders worry it will be even more difficult to get the broad MAGA coalition that came out in 2024 to show up again.

So to get the base energized, Trump and his political team conceived of the Republican midterm convention last year as a fresh way to engage those GOP voters and convince them to head to the ballot box. The multiday event organized by the Republican National Committee also offers candidates an opportunity to showcase themselves on a national stage and juice their fundraising.

Building off the convention, Trump has promised to spend the final 30 days of the election crisscrossing the country, targeting 35 races that he believes will determine control of Congress .

Importance of timing: The RNC slotted the event near the very end of primary season and before early voting begins in most states, in hopes of getting its message across just as Americans begin to tune into the midterm contests in earnest.

Trump seems to acknowledge $5K payments would need congressional approval

President Donald Trump seemed to acknowledge that the $5,000 payments he has promised Americans if Republicans retain their House and Senate majorities this fall would require congressional approval, saying he cannot distribute the money immediately because Democrats would object.

“I’ll tell you what, because the Democrats can’t do it. Because for them it’s negative growth,” Trump told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham when asked why he doesn’t give out the money now.

“With us it’s so positive,” Trump said in the clip of the interview airing Thursday, going on to claim the country is taking in $21 trillion thanks to tariffs. (Trump has often falsely claimed there’s been “over $20 trillion” invested in the US during his second term so far, but the White House has never been able to substantiate it.)

“No country has ever taken in anywhere near that. It’s four or five times higher than the next one. All because of the beautiful word you and I love more than most others: tariffs,” he told Ingraham.

Trump floated the payments during his keynote address on the opening night of the GOP midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday, but he offered no details on how he would pay for such a move.

The pledge marks one of Trump’s most aggressive moves yet to shore up support for the GOP majority amid widespread dissatisfaction with his administration’s agenda.

Quick recap of Day 1 of the GOP "Trump-a-palooza" midterm convention

The first night of the GOP’s first-ever midterm convention — what Republicans have called a “Trump-a-palooza” — featured a lineup of GOP candidates and party leaders, as well as an appearance by Democratic Sen. John Fetterman and President Donald Trump.

Trump used his keynote address last night to make a major pledge to voters: If Republicans retain control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in November’s midterm elections, he said he would pay every American adult $5,000. He offered no details on how he would pay for it.

Here are some highlights from the first night of the convention:

“I’m on the ballot”: Trump told Republicans he would hit the campaign trail aggressively this fall, holding events with about 35 House and Senate candidates in competitive races. “I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” he said. “I’m on the ballot. Just one more time.” He also urged Texans to rally around Ken Paxton, the Republican attorney general who defeated the incumbent — and more moderate — Sen. John Cornyn in the primary.

A surprise appearance: Democratic Sen. John Fetterman recorded a video introducing his Pennsylvania colleague, Republican Sen. Dave McCormick. In the video, recorded outside a US Steel plant, Fetterman said he is a Democrat but rejects “the extremes of socialism” and “the anti-American way of life.”

Iran and gas prices: The most direct acknowledgement of the war in Iran and its impact on gas prices came from Trump himself, when he said prices would drop as soon as the United States wins the war . He then said the Strait of Hormuz should be renamed the “Trump Strait.”

Targeting progressive insurgents: Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, might have been the most frequently mentioned member of his party. Republicans broadly sought to portray democratic socialists who have won a handful of House primaries and progressives like El-Sayed as anathema to American values.

Cultural issues: Republicans made clear that they see cultural issues — particularly Democrats’ positions around transgender Americans’ rights — as their strongest line of attack. Republicans played a video mashup focusing on Trump’s push to bar “men from playing in women’s sports” that included podcaster Joe Rogan calling the move “common sense.” They also highlighted Democrats’ past rhetoric about transgender people.

Immigration on the agenda: Most Republicans didn’t directly advocate for Trump’s efforts to ramp up deportations. But they blamed Democrats for lax immigration enforcement under former President Joe Biden and for the crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.

Republicans gathered Wednesday night in Dallas for the first-ever Republican midterm convention, an event designed to energize voters, raise money and highlight key Republican candidates ahead of the November election. CNN’s Alayna Treene takes us through the key moments.

Vice President JD Vance is expected to deliver the keynote address tonight before Trump returns to the main stage to close out the convention.

GOP heads into general election facing an enthusiasm gap

It remains to be seen whether this week’s unusual GOP midterm convention will fire up the base for the final two months of the campaign, but the party clearly needs some help.

Recent polling shows Republicans continue to suffer from a significant enthusiasm deficit heading into the stretch run of the campaign.

And crucially, President Donald Trump — who has been the star of the convention — is proving a much stronger motivator for his critics than his supporters.

The two most recent polls on this came from the University of Massachusetts and Reuters-Ipsos last week. And both show Democrats with a double-digit edge in enthusiasm.

In the former, Democrats were more likely than Republicans to say they are “very enthusiastic” about voting in the midterms by a 42%-30% margin. In the latter, the gap was 40%-27%.

Both also show Democrats with an edge — albeit a slightly smaller one — when it came to voters who were at least “somewhat enthusiastic.”

A look at today’s GOP midterm convention lineup

Vice President JD Vance will deliver tonight’s keynote address at the GOP midterm convention, before President Donald Trump closes out the two-day event.

The event has given several candidates a platform to speak to voters and the Republican Party featured a line-up of prominent Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials.

Here’s a look at who’s expected to take the stage today :

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (TX)

House Speaker Mike Johnson

Mike Rogers, candidate running in a critical Senate contest in Michigan against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt

• 在舞台上：副总统 JD Vance 将在共和党中期选举大会第二天在达拉斯发表主题演讲，之后唐纳德·特朗普总统将正式宣布大会闭幕。

• 昨晚：特朗普承诺，如果共和党在今年秋季保住参众两院多数席位，将向美国民众发放5000美元的补贴，但他今天似乎也承认，这项计划需要国会批准。在他的主题演讲中，他没有提供任何关于补贴资金来源的细节。

• CNN《20/26 视野》新闻简报：中期选举之路已然开启。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。点击此处订阅。

共和党人正试图在至关重要的中期选举前吸引选民的注意力。

Blake Fagan/AFP/Getty Images

中期选举即将到来，共和党人正努力保住他们在国会的微弱多数席位，因此这次选举对他们来说至关重要。

由于唐纳德·特朗普总统不在选票上，民调显示民众对国家的发展方向深感不满，共和党领导人担心，要让2024年涌现出的广泛的“让美国再次伟大”（MAGA）联盟再次出现，将会更加困难。

为了激发基本盘的热情，特朗普及其政治团队去年构思了共和党中期选举大会，希望以此为契机，吸引共和党选民参与投票。这场由共和党全国委员会组织的为期数天的活动，也为候选人提供了一个在全国舞台上展示自我、提升筹款能力的绝佳机会。

继大会之后，特朗普承诺将在选举的最后 30 天里奔走全国各地，重点关注他认为将决定国会控制权的 35 场竞选。

时机的重要性：共和党全国委员会将此次活动安排在初选季接近尾声、大多数州提前投票开始之前，希望在民众开始认真关注中期选举之际，能够传达其信息。

特朗普似乎承认，5000美元的付款需要国会批准。

唐纳德·特朗普总统似乎承认，如果共和党在今年秋季保住众议院和参议院的多数席位，他承诺向美国民众发放的 5000 美元款项需要国会批准。他说，他不能立即发放这笔钱，因为民主党人会反对。

“我告诉你，因为民主党人做不到。因为对他们来说，这会导致负增长，”特朗普在被问及为何现在不发放这笔钱时告诉福克斯新闻的劳拉·英格拉汉姆。

特朗普在周四播出的采访片段中说：“对我们来说，情况非常乐观。”他还声称，由于关税，美国正在获得21万亿美元的收入。（特朗普经常错误地声称，在他第二个任期内，已有“超过20万亿美元”的投资流入美国，但白宫始终无法证实这一点。）

“没有任何一个国家征收过如此高的关税。它比其他国家高出四到五倍。这一切都归功于你我都非常喜欢的那个词：关税，”他告诉英格拉姆。

特朗普在周三晚于达拉斯举行的共和党中期选举大会开幕之夜的主题演讲中提到了支付款项，但他没有提供任何关于如何支付这笔费用的细节。

在民众对其政府议程普遍不满的情况下，这一承诺标志着特朗普为巩固共和党多数席位而采取的最激进的举措之一。

共和党“特朗普狂欢节”中期选举大会第一天简要回顾

共和党首次中期选举大会的第一晚——共和党人称之为“特朗普狂欢节”——共和党候选人和党内领导人悉数到场，民主党参议员约翰·费特曼和唐纳德·特朗普总统也出席了会议。

特朗普昨晚在主题演讲中向选民做出了一项重大承诺：如果共和党在11月的中期选举中继续掌控众议院和参议院，他将向每位美国成年人支付5000美元。但他没有提供任何关于如何支付这笔款项的细节。

以下是大会首晚的一些精彩瞬间：

“我的名字在选票上”：特朗普告诉共和党人，他将在今年秋季积极开展竞选活动，与大约35位在竞争激烈的众议院和参议院选区参选的候选人举行活动。“我请你们假装我的名字在选票上，”他说。“我的名字在选票上。再说一遍。”他还敦促德克萨斯州选民支持肯·帕克斯顿，这位共和党籍总检察长在初选中击败了现任参议员约翰·科宁，而科宁的立场更为温和。

令人意外的是，民主党参议员约翰·费特曼录制了一段视频，介绍他的宾夕法尼亚州同事、共和党参议员戴夫·麦考密克。这段视频是在美国钢铁公司一家工厂外录制的，费特曼在视频中表示，他虽然是民主党人，但反对“社会主义的极端主义”和“反美的生活方式”。

伊朗与天然气价格：对伊朗战争及其对天然气价格影响的最直接表态来自特朗普本人。他曾表示，一旦美国赢得战争，油价就会下降。他还说，霍尔木兹海峡应该更名为“特朗普海峡”。

共和党人将矛头指向进步派挑战者：密歇根州民主党参议员候选人阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德可能是共和党内被提及次数最多的人。共和党人试图将赢得一些众议院初选的民主社会主义者以及像埃尔-赛义德这样的进步派人士描绘成美国价值观的异类。

文化议题：共和党人明确表示，他们将文化议题——尤其是民主党在跨性别美国人权利问题上的立场——视为最有力的攻击点。共和党播放了一段视频剪辑，重点抨击特朗普试图禁止“男性参加女子体育比赛”的举措，其中包括播客主持人乔·罗根称此举“合情合理”。他们还着重强调了民主党过去对跨性别者的言论。

移民问题提上议程：大多数共和党人并未直接支持特朗普加大遣返力度的举措。但他们指责民主党在前总统乔·拜登执政期间移民执法不力，并指责非法移民犯下罪行。

周三晚，共和党人在达拉斯齐聚一堂，召开史上首次共和党中期选举大会。此次大会旨在激发选民热情、筹集资金，并在11月大选前重点推介共和党候选人。CNN记者阿莱娜·特里恩将带我们回顾大会的关键时刻。

预计副总统 JD Vance 将于今晚发表主旨演讲，之后特朗普将返回主舞台为大会闭幕。

共和党在大选前面临热情不足的问题

本周不同寻常的共和党中期选举大会能否在竞选的最后两个月激发支持者的热情还有待观察，但该党显然需要一些帮助。

最近的民调显示，共和党人在竞选冲刺阶段仍然面临着严重的选民热情不足的问题。

至关重要的是，作为大会明星的唐纳德·特朗普总统，对他的批评者来说，其激励作用远大于对他的支持者。

上周，马萨诸塞大学和路透社-益普索分别进行了两项最新的民调。两项民调均显示，民主党人在支持率方面拥有两位数的优势。

在前一项调查中，民主党人比共和党人更有可能表示他们对中期选举“非常热衷”，比例为42%比30%。在后一项调查中，这一比例为40%比27%。

两项调查结果都显示，在至少“有些热情”的选民中，民主党人略占优势——尽管优势较小。

今日共和党中期选举大会议程概览

副总统 JD Vance 将于今晚在共和党中期选举大会上发表主旨演讲，之后唐纳德·特朗普总统将为为期两天的大会闭幕致辞。

此次活动为多位候选人提供了一个与选民交流的平台，共和党方面则派出了一系列知名的共和党议员和特朗普政府官员。

以下是今天预计登台的嘉宾名单：

德克萨斯州参议员特德·克鲁兹（TX）

众议院议长迈克·约翰逊

迈克·罗杰斯，密歇根州参议院关键竞选候选人，将与民主党候选人阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德展开角逐。

德克萨斯州州长格雷格·阿博特

前白宫新闻秘书卡罗琳·莱维特