It’s Trumpapalooza in Dallas – but Trump isn’t on the ballotpublished at 01:25 BST
01:25 BST
Daniel Bush
Washington correspondent, reporting from Dallas
Image source, EPA
Inside American Airlines Arena here in Dallas, the so-called Trumpapalooza convention has all the hallmarks of the traditional presidential election-year conventions staged by both parties every four years: thousands of sign-waving supporters, activists and party officials roaming the arena floor, vendors selling political merchandise.
There are even massive clusters of red, white, and blue (and gold) balloons hanging overhead from the arena rafters, ready to rain down on the crowd in the traditional “balloon drop” when the convention ends Thursday night.
But the atmosphere feels different in some important ways. There’s no official nomination process, or formal delegates. It’s taking place on a compressed two-day schedule, instead of four. And most of the Republican establishment are staying away, wary of embracing a president with near-historic low approval ratings.
It’s something of a cross between a mini-convention and an extended CPAC, the annual conservative political forum held outside of Washington, DC.
And perhaps in a sign of the enthusiasm around this event, large swaths of seats in the upper bowl of the arena are empty.