By — Bryan Gallion Bryan Gallion Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-2026-republican-midterm-convention-night-1 Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH LIVE: 2026 Republican Midterm Convention | Night 1 Politics Sep 8, 2026 6:04 PM EDT President Donald Trump will deliver a keynote speech and closing remarks at a gathering of Republicans this week in Dallas, where a first-of-its-kind midterm convention is taking place in an effort to mobilize voters for November elections that will decide if the party stays in control of Congress. The Republican midterm convention starts Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 4 p.m. EDT. Watch it live in our video player above. Both the Democratic and Republican parties' national committees have historically held conventions in presidential election years to formally nominate their candidates, making a mid-cycle meeting like this one unprecedented. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Trump has pledged to campaign for more than 30 congressional battleground races. He said last week that vulnerable GOP lawmakers should run on his record, despite Americans' unfavorable opinion of the Iran war and their concerns about the economy. READ MORE: Trump takes trip to West Coast to tout the economy, something polls show he's weak on Republicans hold slim majorities in the Senate and House, and the party in power typically experiences losses during midterm elections. The convention will run from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. EDT on Wednesday and Thursday. Night 1 is expected to highlight GOP policies on health care, elections and border enforcement. It will also feature appearances from Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress and candidates. Vice President JD Vance is expected to deliver a keynote address on Night 2. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Bryan Gallion Bryan Gallion
President Donald Trump will deliver a keynote speech and closing remarks at a gathering of Republicans this week in Dallas, where a first-of-its-kind midterm convention is taking place in an effort to mobilize voters for November elections that will decide if the party stays in control of Congress. The Republican midterm convention starts Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 4 p.m. EDT. Watch it live in our video player above. Both the Democratic and Republican parties' national committees have historically held conventions in presidential election years to formally nominate their candidates, making a mid-cycle meeting like this one unprecedented. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Trump has pledged to campaign for more than 30 congressional battleground races. He said last week that vulnerable GOP lawmakers should run on his record, despite Americans' unfavorable opinion of the Iran war and their concerns about the economy. READ MORE: Trump takes trip to West Coast to tout the economy, something polls show he's weak on Republicans hold slim majorities in the Senate and House, and the party in power typically experiences losses during midterm elections. The convention will run from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. EDT on Wednesday and Thursday. Night 1 is expected to highlight GOP policies on health care, elections and border enforcement. It will also feature appearances from Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress and candidates. Vice President JD Vance is expected to deliver a keynote address on Night 2. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now