Sometimes being a fan, ally, or voter of Donald Trump is not easy, comfortable, or cheap. The president and leader of the Republican Party demands absolute and permanent dedication and loyalty from congressmen, senators, governors, ministers, influencers, and media stars in the conservative world. Without nuances or doubts. But he also demands proof of faith and sacrifice from supporters, admirers, and curious individuals, especially those who want to see him up close.
Trump arrived in Dallas on Wednesday to be the sole star of the unique Republican Convention that he pulled out of his hat to mobilize his supporters for the November elections, which are looking grim in the polls. An event tailored to his image, with his favorite headlining singers, his favorite music, his colors, his merchandise products everywhere. Enjoying the attention, devotion, and speaking for almost two hours about his usual obsessions, such as changing the name of the Strait of Hormuz to include his last name, that of Lake Ontario, or even his latest idea, changing the name of New Mexico, one of the states in the country, to New America.
In his rally, Trump set two strategies for the next 55 days. First, he urged all citizens to "pretend that I am on the ballot. Act as if I am. Just one more time, because if we lose, you will lose your border. You will lose your tax cuts. You will lose your security. You will lose your wealth. It will be hell like two years ago when we were the laughingstock of the entire world." In other words, a referendum on him.
The second approach: an economically unsustainable promise. "We have done so well, and our country is benefiting so much from it, that only I can make you this promise: if Republicans win the House of Representatives and the Senate in the United States, both, due to our tremendous economic success, like never before in history, I will issue a $5,000 dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America," he stated. "The only condition is that this dividend must be spent in the United States. We don't want them spending it in Canada or Mexico," he said to laughter from the audience.
The president is the core around which everything revolves, and that is why attendance was very low when the day officially started, less than a third of the American Airlines Center in the Texan city. He arrived late because his controversial plane, donated by Qatar, had an issue with an inflatable slide, delaying its takeoff from the capital. And the attention skyrocketed. But not even with him, nor at the central moment, shortly after 8:15 PM local time, could the empty seats be disguised, with the entire upper area of the venue empty despite his insistence that it was "packed to the rafters."
He seemed not to notice. His name was the only one repeated over and over again. And all the photos lining the hallways of the center are of the president, not of the candidates aiming for Congress in a few weeks. His image is also on all the credentials and tickets, those of the famous and VIP guests, journalists, and the public. His face is on t-shirts and caps, and there was even a completely golden car, with his last name, at the entrance of the pavilion, to make it clear to everyone that the two-day meeting has only one protagonist.
Those who were not fortunate enough to be invited, or those who could not afford the thousands of dollars demanded from the already faithful to be in the closest rows to the president, were gathered early Wednesday morning at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, 20 kilometers from the city, to queue in over 35º heat to get tickets for the event, dubbed by Republicans as the Trump-a-Palooza, a festival with little politics and much fetish. From there, without backpacks, food, or computers, and after four hours of waiting, the buses departed, filled with red caps with "Make America Great Again," huge red boots defying the temperatures, and, above all, endless American flags.
Donald Trump speaks with journalists before boarding Air Force One.AFP
The Convention called by Trump comes at a very delicate moment for the party, and for the first time in a long time, anonymous voices are proliferating in the media. Complaining about the president, that his obsession and total self-confidence are damaging the chances of his candidates in November. A source quoted in Politico's main morning newsletter said he prayed that the counter-programmed events of the day, especially the start of the American football season, would lead to "no one seeing this embarrassing spectacle." Others spoke, with similar hopes, of the Guns'n'Roses concert in Arlington, a few miles away and almost at the same time as the president's speech, in another stadium that can accommodate twice as many spectators.
Zuby, born in India and a resident of Dallas for a decade, did not know that Trump and the Republicans were coming to the city and showed his surprise with an equal mix of horror and fascination. "This president is crazy," he said in broken Spanish. "But now I understand the messages I was receiving, I have to go see him without fail," he added. Fausto, a Mexican son of a Murcian, who has been in Texas for six years, was the same. Little fascination, he said while eating, but some curiosity because he had heard something on the radio.
In the hallways of the American Airlines Center, thousands of Republicans and aspiring MAGA figures ran back and forth, taking photos or recording videos. There were more video cameras, tripods, and Amazon lights than Texan hats. "We couldn't be in Milwaukee, but we couldn't miss this," explained Mike and Angela, a Midwest couple who did not want to reveal how much they had paid to have access to the main floor of the event.
But the fear within the party is not only the potential drag effect of a president who in 2024 mobilized masses but is now at a popularity low. It is everything that the event entails, the reactions it provokes, the characters it viralizes. This Convention has some similarities in color with the official ones, and even with the usual rallies of the MAGA movement, but also visible differences. There are prayers, anthems, many flags, and some costumes and shows. But the main audience is different, older, much more formal. Party members from all over the country, seeking prominence, contacts, positioning themselves for the future.
It was different for those willing to wait in line for hours to get close to Trump, even from a distance. Among them was the infamous Micky Larson-Olson, an agitator and believer in the Qanon lizard pedophile conspiracy theory, who participated in the Capitol assault, dressed from head to toe in red, white, and blue, denouncing her condemnation. In the hallway of the pavilion, there were also delirious signs made with AI, saying "Remember the Alamo," with the addition of "Don't Sharia My Texas" in reference to Islam and featuring faces like the convicted conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and visual references to series like Sons of Anarchy or Yellowstone. And at a nearby event, there was James Fishback, a 31-year-old emerging figure from Florida with an ultra-right-wing and anti-Israel agenda, who made the Republican establishment very nervous, and although he lost the primaries, he is capable of mobilizing thousands of radicalized teenagers to the streets.
The opposition also seized its moment. Texas is a conservative state in general, but Dallas is a very progressive area. And a Democratic candidate, James Talarico, is for the first time in decades well positioned to snatch a vital seat in the Senate from Trumpism. While Republican 'delegates' arrived in the city, he counter-programmed with 'Love Your Neighbor,' an event closely followed by cameras to feed disadvantaged people in a local parish, providing "a contrast to the billionaire dance" of Trump.
His campaign also surrounded the convention center with vans bearing signs that read "Paxton Protects Pedophiles," a reference to Talarico's controversial opponent, whom the president endorsed in his usual distinctive style. "Some people may not like the way he dresses. I don't like it. They may not like the way he speaks. I can understand that. You might not like the way he looks because he's not the best-looking guy. But he's the best district attorney we have," Trump said, mocking his candidate.
Meanwhile, organizers of a traveling exhibition on the Epstein papers were displaying tens of thousands of documents related to the case and the investigation into the pedophile financier, which they had brought to Dallas to highlight his friendship with Trump. "Dallas has a world-class clinic specializing in dementia, so it offers easier access and opportunities for a president who clearly has deteriorating health," gloated Kendall Scudder, the state chair of the Democrats, at a parallel event.