The Republican Party is scrambling to give away free tickets to Donald Trump’s midterm convention, in a frantic bid to pack the arena as countless GOP lawmakers and candidates stay away.
With days before the so-called “Trump-A-Palooza” gathering in Texas, organizers have been pulling all stops to fill seats, including using a public lottery with the promise of VIP treatment; urging GOP operatives to give away passes to the two-day event; and blasting out unsolicited text messages screaming “FREE TICKETS” with links to the convention’s registration page.
The frenzied giveaway comes as party members express limited enthusiasm for their first-ever midterm convention, which is designed to energize Republicans before voters head to the ballot box on November 3.
By holding it in Dallas, Trump and his MAGA allies are also hoping to bolster the fortunes of embattled Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who is locked in a surprisingly tight race against Democrat James Talarico, despite being in a traditional GOP stronghold.
But the $25,000 cost of attending has irritated some Republicans, while candidates in competitive races have been reluctant to spend precious days campaigning at an event centered on the president, whose approval ratings have now hit record lows.
The Daily Beast found that most Republicans in competitive House races were not planning to attend, with some declining even to say whether they would show.
The White House also confirmed First Lady Melania Trump is another no-show, depriving the president of one of the party’s most recognizable figures at an event designed to project Republican unity.
Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee is simultaneously trying to turn the gathering into a massive fundraising grab, with Trump donors being asked for $250,000 to attend a roundtable with him—and another $88,600 for a photo. A similar event with Vice President JD Vance costs $75,000, with photos going for $35,000.
Even the speaker lineup has generated controversy. According to the list released by the RNC over the weekend, “Trump-a-Palooza” will feature 109 speakers and items over the two days, including Trump and Vice President JD Vance speaking on Wednesday night, followed by Trump giving another keynote on Thursday night.
But the appearance of Attorney General Todd Blanche on the speaker list has prompted questions about whether his participation in partisan political activity could run afoul of the Hatch Act, which is meant to prevent executive branch federal employees from using their job to influence elections.
Behind the scenes, organizers have been scrambling to fill Dallas’ American Airlines Center, which has capacity for about 21,000 people.
The RNC initially said the event would draw about 20,000 and be the biggest in the party’s history.
But that is an ambitious benchmark, given the 2024 convention was a four-day presidential spectacle that drew an estimated 50,000 people to Milwaukee.
This included tens of thousands of delegates, donors, media and visitors to the city as Trump formally accepted the nomination and unveiled JD Vance as his running mate.
“This event will be larger than the Republican convention in Milwaukee in 2024,” spokesman Zach Kraft said in an interview last month.
“The excitement that we are seeing on the ground from grassroots Republicans in Texas and across this country is real, and because of that, we anticipate this will be the largest midterm convention since 2016.”
The Texas GOP initially sold convention ticket packages for up to $20,000 that included perks such as “honorary delegate” credentials and floor access.
The RNC then opened up a lottery last month offering free seats to the public, with a select few receiving VIP treatment and a front row seat. Lottery winners were informed on Friday if they had been successful.
Unsolicited text messages were also sent out last week offering free tickets to the event, directing recipients to a ticket registration page.
Organizers also held a briefing call with GOP operatives last week saying tickets were still available, urging them them to hand them to their networks.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the RNC to ask about attendance. But in a statement over the weekend, RNC Chairman Joe Gruters talked up the event.
“President Donald Trump and Republicans have delivered historic results for the American people, and every hour of this historic convention will tell that story,” he said.
In a Truth Social post, Trump described the convention as “the Greatest RALLY of them all” and one that would showcase “our Tremendous Victories and Success.”
“I’ll be speaking on night one, and hanging around for an earlier closing, and lots of music, on night two!!! See you in Dallas,” he declared.
