President Donald Trump is now scheduled to speak on both nights of the Republican Party’s 2026 midterm convention next week, according to a report.
The president had been scheduled to deliver a keynote address on Sept. 10 but is now set to speak on both nights of the convention, a party official told Reuters, in the wake of concerns that turnout and viewership could be low since the event coincides with the start of the NFL season.
“President Trump wants to set the tone for the entire convention,” the party official said.
The event in Dallas is set to mark the first midterm convention of its kind, highlighting the administration’s crackdown on fraud, tax cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and increased access to healthcare through TrumpRx, among other issues.
The convention’s opening night will coincide with a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. On Thursday night, the convention is set again to compete with viewers due to an NFL rivalry matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
In addition, several major networks, including CBS and CNN, are not expected to cover a majority of the two-day convention live starting Sept. 9 in Dallas. NBC is also unlikely to cover much of the convention live, at least on Wednesday.
Republicans have sought to pump up their base ahead of the event.
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“Trump and Republicans have delivered historic results for the American people, and every hour of this historic convention will tell that story,” Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters told reporters.
“Over two action-packed days, we will take Americans through the defining issues of our Party’s agenda and what is at stake in November,” he added. “Each hour will have its own theme, its own message, and its own voices, building toward President Donald Trump’s vision for the next chapter of American greatness. This will be unlike any political convention America has seen before.”
