JD Vance speaks at Republican convention dominated by Trump

The convention offered a stark reminder that the Trump era is heading toward its final chapter.

Trump’s presence loomed over the proceedings at the American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas.

Republican House and Senate candidates lavished the president with praise in speeches, and supporters showed up wearing the red Maga hats that have become synonymous with Trump’s political movement.

The gathering was just two days, but still had the look and feel of the traditional four-day conventions staged by both parties in presidential election years. Organisers distributed signs and unleashed a balloon drop at the end as live music blared.

Republicans had never held a midterm convention before.

Vikki Consiglio, a party activist from Georgia, said it showcased Trump’s ability to shake up political norms and capture the nation’s attention.

Evidence of that came when Trump pledged in his speech to make a payment of $5,000 to all American adults if Republicans retained control of Congress.

“He’s a visionary. This whole convention is nothing but a vision,” Consiglio said.

But even as convention goers cheered Trump on, many seemed eager to discuss the 2028 presidential election.

“I’m very concerned about the next 10, 15, 20 years. I’m absolutely thinking about the future of the party,” said Aiden Buzzetti, the president of The Bull Moose Project, a pro-Trump group.

Buzzetti, who is 26, credited Trump with reshaping Republican politics, but said at the same time he was looking forward to a “new generation of conservative leaders.”