Trump Steps On JD Vance’s Speech, Urges Dallas Republicans to Vote and “Cheat Like Hell”

Vice President JD Vance used the second night of the Republican National Committee’s first midterm convention to pitch Republicans’ November message, but President Donald Trump stepped on stage and stayed there for more than 25 minutes in Dallas.

“Trump stepped on stage. And he stayed there, for more than 25 minutes”

CNN

Trump closed the GOP’s midterm convention by urging attendees to vote and pledge to “cheat like hell” to keep Republicans in control of Congress, after Vance had framed the stakes of November’s elections as “sending a message to the Democratic Party that if you send your crazies, we’re going to send you packing.”

ABC

The convention was held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, with the event described as ending a two-day gathering less than two months before Americans decide whether Republicans retain House and Senate majorities or hand Democrats power for the last two years of Trump’s term.

In the same Dallas setting, Trump also led a pledge to vote on November 3, telling the crowd “I don’t care if I’m registered or not, I’m going to try and cheat like hell, like they (Democrats) do.”

Vance’s keynote address drew chants of “48,” a reference to the possibility that he would become the 48th president if elected in 2028, and The New York Times described him as casting Democrats as the “party of hatred” in a fiery speech.

Vance told the crowd “We’ve got to take care of business this November,” and then “Then we’ll worry about what comes next,” as the convention set battle lines for the midterms and beyond.

ABC7 New York

The New York Times reported that Vance avoided directly talking about the war with Iran while urging voters not to abandon the administration over policy disagreements, and it said Trump delivered closing remarks that included a pledge to vote on Nov. 3.

In the same coverage, Trump’s closing remarks repeated his proposal to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retained control of both chambers, while Vance’s speech emphasized unity and attacks on Democrats as “the party that despises America and the people who built it.”

Republicans framed the midterm as a test of whether they could keep Congress, with CNN describing the stakes as whether the party would retain House and Senate majorities or hand Democrats power for the last two years of Trump’s term.

“whether the party will retain its House and Senate majorities or hand Democrats power”

CNN

Trump’s convention push included a pledge that if Republicans win both chambers, they would provide a “Trump dividend” of $5,000 for every adult citizen, and Fox News reported that Trump urged supporters to “pretend I’m on the ticket.”

ABC7 New York tied the convention’s closing day to broader election mechanics, noting that Missouri’s Republican secretary of state ordered local election authorities to use its 2022 congressional map instead of a congressional map backed by Trump after the Supreme Court struck it down earlier that day.

As the convention ended, ABC7 New York said Trump turned the microphone over to opera performer Christopher Macchio to belt out “America the Beautiful,” while the political message remained focused on November voting and keeping Republicans in control of Congress.