"Why Are There So Many Empty Seats?" "Please, Everyone!" Trump's Urgent 8-Minute Summary of the Republican Convention... Announcing a Shocking Plan Amid Warnings of Impeachment (Trump NOW)

When U.S. President Donald Trump appeared at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on the evening of the 9th local time, where the U.S. Republican midterm convention was underway, the entire audience stood up and cheered.

The crowd, chanting "Trump," soon began shouting "USA," heightening the atmosphere.

President Trump, wearing a wide smile, responded relaxed, saying, "Welcome to everyone attending the first-ever midterm convention."

However, the expected level of enthusiasm and cheering was difficult to find at the convention venue.

This was because there were many empty seats throughout the interior of the American Airlines Center, which can accommodate 20,000 people.

Around 3:00 PM, when the convention opened, only about half of the venue was filled, though more than 80% of the seats were occupied by around 8:15 PM when President Trump's speech began.

However, the uppermost tier of the spectator stands remained largely empty, making it difficult to avoid criticism that President Trump's mobilization power had weakened.

This means President Trump's strategy—seeking to rally his base through the first-ever midterm convention to dispel concerns over election defeat due to the prolonged war in Iran—did not succeed, at least in terms of convention attendance size.

This contrasts sharply with the convention held about two years prior in July 2024, which confirmed Trump as the Republican presidential nominee and took place amidst the fervor of supporters rivaling a religious revival.

Midterm conventions have no precedent and do not focus on a single protagonist as the presidential nominee, making a direct one-to-one comparison with presidential conventions difficult.

However, considering the status and importance of a convention event, failing to even fill a "20,000-seat arena" is expected to cause no small sense of crisis within the Republican Party.

In his speech, President Trump repeatedly appealed, "Please vote as if I am on the midterm ballot."

This revealed his perception that he would shift the blame for concerns of defeat onto the party and break through the difficult situation using his personal popularity.

On this day as well, President Trump attacked the Democrats using terms like "radical left" and "communists," but compared to his usual speeches, he appeared to restrain his offensive against the Democrats and focus 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 in the midterm elections, he would give 5,000 dollars to every adult citizen in the United States.

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 conscious of the tight Senate race in Texas, a Republican stronghold, President Trump directly asked for support for Republican candidate Ken Paxton, who was handpicked 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 U.S. private sector jobs have increased by more than one million compared to the previous administration of Joe Biden and that companies are increasing investments across the United States, stating, "President Trump's plan will grow stronger beyond tax cuts through trade agreements and deregulation."

Attorney General Todd Blanche also took part in giving a speech of support.

Criticism poured in from within the Democratic Party that the appearance of the head of the Department of Justice, whose core value is political neutrality, at a Republican convention was 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 the American worker," adding, "A steel mill is being built in Pennsylvania for the first time in decades, and Hanwha is investing 5 billion dollars in the Philadelphia shipyard."

It also drew attention that Democratic Senator John Fetterman from the same region introduced McCormick through a surprise video message.

It is extremely unusual for a Democratic lawmaker to appear, even via video, at a Republican convention.

In his 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 actions of repeatedly defying party lines.

At the convention, the Republican leadership also openly mocked and criticized the Democrats.

House Republican No. 2 Steve Scalise, the House Majority Leader, received loud applause from the audience by saying, "The Democratic Party today is not the Democratic Party of your fathers. The Democrats have been completely taken over by crazy communists, and I will call this the 'Bolshevik Revolution within the Democratic Party'."

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, the No. 3 in rank, also claimed, "Every Democrat is a socialist, a communist, and an anarchist," adding, "The only thing they agree on is a disgusting hatred for America and our great President (Trump)."

(Reported by JIN Sang-myeong | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.