Jessica Tezoquipa, news editor

Sept. 10 in Dallas, Texas, the Republican National Convention was held in time for the midterm elections. Usually done during presidential elections, conventions being held for midterm elections have been seen as “places of mischief” and wastes of the party’s time and money, according to National Journal. 

The 2026 Republican National Convention was championed by President Trump as he promised all adult Americans $5,000 if Republicans win the House and the Senate in the upcoming midterm elections. This pledge has come as the GOP has received record-low ratings with issues of immigration, the Epstein Files, rising prices and an unpopular war in Iran. This $5,000 “Trump Dividend,” being labeled as an empty promise by democrats, would cost $1.3 trillion to pay a sum to 270 million adult Americans. Vice President Vance said these dividends would be funded by revenue raised by tariffs. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, $475 billion has been collected since 2025. It is illegal under federal law to try and influence somebody’s voting by providing payment. 

“I think [Donald Trump] is mediocre. I cannot think of a moment where he kept promises he’s made. Not in today’s economic world. I would need a lot more than 5,000 dollars to live through [the rest] of his presidency,” states Dhari RisingSun-Doud, an Augsburg student, in an interview with the Echo. 

Trump’s presence dominated the convention, as speakers praised him as the “greatest leader of our time,” as stated by NPR news.  “I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” Trump said on the first day. On the second day, he stated, “You know what happens if you don’t vote? You go to hell.” In the 2026 primaries, the voter turnout for Democrats increased by 40% as opposed to a 6% decrease for republican voters.

“Common sense versus communist crazy” is a phrase that is very representative of the convention’s rhetoric, as many speakers share the same message. “For months leading into the convention, I worked with our team to build a clear, consistent message around the contrast at the heart of this election: common sense versus communist crazy,” Lisa McClain said for The Post. “You don’t sympathize with terrorists, you don’t sanitize extremism, and you sure don’t ask the people of Michigan to send you to the United States Senate while surrounding yourself with people who despise America,” former Representative Mike Rogers said of Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Michigan. This being representative of the overall mood of the convention not being focused on policy.