Even the head of Donald Trump’s desperate midterm convention knows Republicans are skipping out on it.
Ray Washburne, a former Trump official who co-chairs the the president’s “Trump-a-Palooza,” tried to defend the poor turnout among GOP candidates at the Dallas event.
“One thing is we just have so many speaking slots, you can’t get them all in,” the Sunoco board chairman told reporters on Wednesday morning, according to Politico.
“The others, if you’re not in a contested race, it really doesn’t make much sense to come,” Washburne added. “And the ones in contested races, they need to be in their home states campaigning, because this does take three or four days off. This is right in the heart of the campaign season.”
Washburne projected that between 15,000 and 20,000 people would attend each night of the “Trump-a-Palooza,” though he didn’t have a full roster of lawmakers and candidates planning to attend, Politico reported.
The Daily Beast reached out to the White House for comment, which deferred the request to the Republican National Committee.
RNC spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre told the Daily Beast in a statement: “The enthusiasm to attend, participate, and speak at this historic Republican convention has been incredible - from members of Congress to candidates to everyday Americans. Republicans are rallying behind the America First agenda that’s brought lower drug prices, lower taxes, and a secure border, and this convention will provide the momentum needed to expand our majorities in November.”
Among the Republicans not attending the two-day blitz, the first ever for the GOP ahead of the midterm elections, are Iowa’s Ashley Hinson and Alaska’s Dan Sullivan—both of whom are running in neck-and-neck Senate races that could determine which party controls the Senate.
Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Iowa Rep. Zach Nunn, who face contentious races in their respective states, also won’t attend the Trump-centric rally.
The convention coincides with the NFL season’s opening games and the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The scheduling conflicts have raised concerns among Republicans about how many viewers will tune in.
Trump, 80, addressed the absence of some Republicans in competitive races ahead of his flight to Texas on Wednesday, telling reporters that the event is “sold out” and that “everybody wants to come.”
“The reason that some people are not coming is that we don’t have room for 500 politicians,” he said. “We have room for the ones who have a close race—if they’re slightly behind or slightly ahead, or tied. But we don’t have room for people who are 35 points up and don’t need to be there.”
Trump will speak both nights at the convention, delivering a keynote address Wednesday and closing the event Thursday after Vice President JD Vance’s keynote speech.
Other GOP figures expected to deliver speeches include Cabinet members Scott Bessent, Todd Blanche, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso.
Battleground candidates scheduled to speak include Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers, Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton and Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, who face Democrats Abdul El-Sayed, James Talarico and Sherrod Brown, respectively.
