▲ U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Republican mid-term convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on the evening of the 9th (local time), with the uppermost seating section largely empty.
When U.S. President Donald Trump appeared at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on the evening of the 9th (local time) while the U.S. Republican mid-term convention was underway, the audience rose to their feet and cheered.
The crowd, which had been chanting "Trump," soon raised the atmosphere by shouting "USA."
President Trump, wearing a wide smile, responded casually, saying, "Welcome to everyone attending our very first mid-term convention."
However, the expected scale of enthusiasm and cheers was hard to find at the convention venue.
This was because there were many empty seats throughout the American Airlines Center, which can accommodate 20,000 people.
Around 3 p.m. when the convention opened, only about half of the venue was filled, though by around 8:15 p.m. when President Trump's speech began, more than 80 percent of the seats had found occupants.
However, the uppermost tier of the audience seating was mostly empty, making it difficult to avoid criticism that President Trump's pulling power has weakened.
In other words, President Trump's strategy to rally his base through the first-ever mid-term convention to dispel concerns over election defeat caused by the prolonged war in Iran did not succeed, at least in terms of convention attendance scale.
This stands in contrast to the convention held about two years ago in July 2024, which confirmed Trump as the Republican presidential nominee and was held amidst supporter enthusiasm rivaling a religious revival.
Mid-term conventions have no precedent and do not focus solely on a single protagonist as the presidential nominee, making a direct one-to-one comparison with a presidential convention difficult.
However, considering the status and importance of a convention event, failing to even fill a "20,000-seat arena" is likely to generate no small sense of crisis within the Republican Party.
President Trump repeatedly appealed in his speech, saying, "Vote as if I am on the ballot for the mid-term elections."
He shifted the blame for the causes behind defeat projections onto the party, displaying his perception that he will break through the difficult political situation with his personal popularity.
On this day as well, President Trump attacked the Democratic Party using terms like "radical left" and "communists," but compared to his usual speeches, he seemed to restrain his offensives against the Democrats and focused on highlighting the administration's achievements.
He also made a surprise pledge that if the Republican Party maintains majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the mid-term elections, it will give 5,000 dollars to every adult American citizen.
The U.S. daily The New York Times (NYT) predicted that "Trump's impromptu promise will likely cost over 1 trillion dollars" and could cause legal problems.
Seemingly mindful of the tight Senate race in Texas, a Republican stronghold, President Trump directly asked for support for Ken Paxton, the Republican candidate chosen by himself and his core base, MAGA (Make America Great Again).
The audience responded enthusiastically.
When President Trump asked, "Is there anyone here who thinks Iran should have nuclear weapons?", they booed loudly, and when the achievements of the current administration were listed, they met them with applause and cheers.
Several cabinet members of the Trump administration also took the stage at the convention.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized that private-sector jobs in the U.S. have increased by more than a million compared to the days of the preceding Joe Biden administration and companies are increasing investments across the U.S., stating, "President Trump's plan will grow stronger beyond tax cuts through trade agreements and deregulation."
Attorney General Todd Blanche also took part in supporting speeches.
As the head of the Department of Justice, whose core value is political neutrality, appeared at the Republican convention, a flood of criticism poured in from within the Democratic Party calling it inappropriate behavior.
Senator Dave McCormick (Pennsylvania) also took the podium, saying, "We are standing up to China and there is no doubt that the Republican Party is the party of American workers," adding, "In Pennsylvania, a steel mill is being built for the first time in decades, and Hanwha is investing 5 billion dollars in the Philadelphia Shipyard."
The introduction of McCormick by Democratic Senator John Fetterman of the same region via a surprise video message also drew attention.
It is highly unusual for a Democratic lawmaker to make an appearance at a Republican convention, even through a video.
In the video message, Fetterman said, "I am a common-sense Democrat. I oppose extremism and socialism that go against the American way of life."
The audience sent loud applause, but criticism continued within the Democratic Party over Fetterman's move, as he has repeatedly defied party lines.
At the convention, the Republican leadership also overtly mocked and criticized the Democratic Party.
House Republican Conference Chair Steve Scalise said, "The Democratic Party today is not the Democratic Party of your father's era. The Democrats have been completely taken over by crazy communists and I will call this a 'Bolshevik revolution within the Democratic Party,'" receiving loud applause from the audience.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer also claimed, "Every Democrat is a socialist, a communist, and an anarchist," asserting, "The only thing they agree on is a disgusting hatred for America and the great president (Trump)."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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