Some of those hoping to be re-elected seem to see Trump as a burden, notes William Bianco, professor of political science at Indiana University and currently a visiting professor at the Swedish Institute for North American Studies at Uppsala University.
If you are standing next to the president at the convention, you also need to be able to explain to your voters why (increased) tariffs are a good idea and why the war in Iran is good for Americans.
It is well known that Donald Trump's policies are not universally popular and that the president's popularity has declined in recent months. Currently, fewer than 40 percent of Americans think he is doing a good job, according to averages published by both Real Clear Politics and Fiftyplusone.
Historical event?
And last week, the online magazine Politico published a rewritten survey showing that dozens of Republican candidates have either declined or are considering skipping the convention. This is partly due to the high participation fee, reportedly at least $25,000, but also because it does not benefit their campaigns.
"I feel like I'm doing more good in my constituency," Tom Barrett, who is running an intense re-election campaign in Michigan, told the newspaper.
This is probably not the response the president was hoping for when he announced last summer that the Republicans would gather in the Texas city of Dallas, even though they had never previously held a convention ahead of a "regular" congressional election.
"It will be a truly historic event," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Party conventions are usually held every four years, before the presidential election. This is when the presidential candidate is formally voted on and their platform is adopted.
This year, there will be no such event. Instead, organizers plan to promote Trump's America First agenda. Republican chairman Joe Gruters describes the gathering as a "Trumpapalooza," according to media reports.
Want to spread the word
Trump's theory is probably that his supporters haven't woken up to all the good that's happening. It takes an event to get the word out, says William Bianco.
Trump himself has highlighted during the summer what he calls legendary successes: his tariff policy, the fact that tips and overtime are now tax-free, and what he claims is a strong economy and a safer America.
But according to Bianco, it is not certain that voters will buy the claims that the economy is doing well, as many believe that it has become more expensive to buy food and gas and more difficult to get a job.
The Republican Party's first-ever convention ahead of a midterm election will be held on September 9-10 at the giant American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The Democrats have held midterm conventions before, but not since the 1970s.
President Donald Trump plans to be there on Wednesday and Thursday and speak on both nights. Vice President JD Vance will also speak on the second night. Speaker Mike Johnson, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt are also scheduled to take the stage, among many others, Axios reports.
Unlike the conventions held before a presidential election, there are no delegates and no vote on the party's candidate. Instead, the party's profile issues are raised and money is raised ahead of the midterm elections.
The midterm elections on November 3rd will see all members of the House of Representatives and 33 of the 100 senators reelected (as well as two by-elections). In addition, there will be a large number of gubernatorial and mayoral elections, as well as local government elections and ballots.
