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President Donald Trump dances with “Y.M.C.A.” song after his speech during the Republican convention at American Airlines Center, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n
Chitose Suzuki\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the final day of the Repu<\/a>blican midterm convention<\/a> in Dallas \u2014 and the party is saving its top ticket for last.<\/p>\n The day\u2019s schedule includes <\/a>dozens of speakers and events, ending with the first appearance from Vice President\u00a0JD Vance<\/a> and closing remarks from President Donald Trump<\/a>, who urged Texans to elect Ken Paxton<\/a> for the U.S. Senate in an address on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Stuffed rubber ducks resembling President Donald Trump are for sale during the Republican convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026.<\/p>\n Angela Piazza\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n With protesters also expected to take to the streets in downtown Dallas, The Dallas Morning News is following the action from inside the arena and across the city, bringing you the latest developments and biggest moments from the convention\u2019s closing day.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Follow along with our live updates below.<\/p>\n Related: Here’s the program for Day 2 of the Republican midterm convention in Dallas<\/a><\/p>\n A short walk from American Airlines Center, dozens of anti-Trump protesters gathered Thursday afternoon at Pike Park.<\/p>\n The demonstration was organized by the Dallas Against the Trump Agenda Coalition, an alliance of progressive activist groups. Organizers planned to march from the park toward the arena, where Republicans were holding the final day of their midterm convention.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Around a gazebo, demonstrators chanted as one person beat a drum, another strummed a guitar and several shook tambourines. Others carrying signs and banners clustered beneath patches of shade to escape the afternoon heat.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to march today,\u201d an organizer shouted through a loudspeaker.<\/p>\n Protesters criticized President Donald Trump and his administration over immigration, the war in Iran and allegations of corruption. Many called for Trump and the Republican Party to leave Dallas.<\/p>\n A handful of counterprotesters also gathered nearby, using a megaphone as they shouted at demonstrators, including LGBTQ slurs.<\/p>\n A separate protest of the GOP convention was planned for 6 p.m. outside Dallas City Hall, organized by the Next Generation Action Network with the Dallas County Democratic Party and other Democratic and advocacy groups.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA (top left), wipes away tears as President Donald Trump speaks about her late husband Charlie Kirk during the Republican convention at American Airlines Center on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n One year after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed in Utah, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA will be memorialized Thursday evening at the Republican midterm convention.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 31-year-old activist was key in growing support for the GOP among young people and helped run the get-out-the-vote for President Donald Trump\u2019s 2024 campaign, according to the Associated Press. Trump honored Kirk in his address Wednesday on the first night of the convention.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Erika Kirk, chief executive of Turning Point USA and Kirk’s widow, sat in a special section to the left of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Wednesday. As Trump waved to Erika Kirk, the crowd in the arena rose to their feet and chanted \u201cCharlie.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n According to a programming schedule released by the Republican National Committee, Pastor Lucas Miles, vice president of Turning Point USA Faith, will say a prayer before a video tribute to Kirk will play for the audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n The segment is scheduled to begin around 5 p.m. CT.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read more: Conservative activist Charlie Kirk to be honored at Dallas GOP convention<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A shirt depicting President Donald Trump as a cowboy is seen for sale during the Republican convention at American Airlines Center on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n A shirt depicting President Donald Trump on horseback as the Marlboro man.<\/p>\n Bibles created by country musician Lee Greenwood.<\/p>\n A bedazzled gun-shaped purse.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n All of this and more could be yours at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas.<\/p>\n Visitors looking for their own keepsake could find booths selling merchandise both in and outside of the American Airlines Center.<\/p>\n Trump Bibles, \u201cTrump 2028\u201d hats and an autographed guitar priced at $11,000 are among the items being sold outside the Republican midterm convention at Dallas\u2019 American Airlines Center. Official merch is offered inside the convention, including Dallas 2026 tote bags, Make America Great Again hats and 2026 midterm convention hats. Find more convention news at the link in our bio. Video: Annika Sunkara, Shannon Worley \/ Social video producers<\/p>\n Jason Jisa is one of the vendors setting up racks and tables full of purses, hats, jackets and stuffed animals outside just beyond the convention security perimeter. Jisa and his wife operate the USA Trump Store and say they have been to countless rallies.<\/p>\n The hottest item is the jackets, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re the OGs of the sequin jackets,” Jisa said. “We’re the originators and everybody else copies what we do, and get jealous sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more: MAGA hats and gun purses: Souvenirs from Dallas’ Republican convention<\/a><\/p>\n By noon Thursday, reporters were filming news segments on the arena floor, where rows of empty seats would soon fill with conventiongoers.<\/p>\n Staff ran sound checks onstage while volunteers placed signs emblazoned with American flags on the floor, propping them up on the chairs. Some read \u201cMade in the USA\u201d and \u201cKeep the Majority.\u201d<\/p>\n For many preparing the American Airlines Center<\/a> for the convention\u2019s second night, it was a quick turnaround after President Donald Trump\u2019s nearly two-hour speech stretched until about 10 p.m. Wednesday.<\/p>\n A couple sits amongst several empty seats as President Donald Trump speaks during the Republican convention at American Airlines Center on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n President Donald Trump repeatedly described the American Airlines Center as \u201cpacked\u201d during his opening-night remarks Wednesday, suggesting that visible empty seats belonged to attendees visiting the restroom.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n The arena floor and lower bowl were mostly full, but some upper-level sections were sparsely populated, with entire rows empty. Organizers had tried several approaches to distributing tickets, including packages priced as high as $20,000 before prices were reduced. Free tickets were later offered to Dallas-area residents.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Trump predicted news outlets would photograph temporarily vacant seats and claim the arena was not full. His remarks drew laughter before he asked attendees to wait until his speech ended to use the restroom<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSo please, if you don\u2019t mind, don\u2019t anybody go to the bathroom,\u201d Trump said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: Empty seats at the GOP midterm convention? Blame it on small bladders.<\/a><\/p>\n Hundreds of people lined up<\/a> to enter the American Airlines Center<\/a> Wednesday to get a glimpse of President Donald\u00a0Trump and support Republican politicians at the first GOP midterm convention.<\/p>\n During Trump\u2019s nearly two-hour speech, he sent a clear message to supporters: show up in November or cede power to the Democrats.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m asking you to pretend that I\u2019m on the ballot,\u201d Trump said. \u201cJust one more time. Because if we lose, you\u2019re going to lose your border, you\u2019re going to lose your tax cuts, you\u2019re going to lose your safety and security.\u201d<\/p>\n While Trump\u2019s name won\u2019t officially appear on the November ballot, his image was plastered all over the heavily secured arena hosting a celebration of his Make America Great Again movement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Republicans are counting on Trump to convince his followers to push the message that their voters need to get in the game or risk plunging the final two years of Trump\u2019s presidency into a morass of investigations,\u00a0impeachments and legislative logjams.<\/p>\n Related: GOP looks to Trump to rally voters ahead of midterm elections<\/a><\/p>\n The second night at\u00a0American Airlines Center<\/a> will feature a speech from Vice President JD Vance and some closing remarks from Trump.<\/p>\n A few notable Texas politicians to grace the stage Thursday include Gov. Greg Abbott,<\/a> Sen. Ted Cruz<\/a>, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick<\/a> and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson<\/a>.<\/p>\n View the day two convention program here<\/a>.<\/p>\n – Jos\u00e9 S\u00e1nchez C\u00f3rdova<\/p>\n President Donald Trump told supporters Wednesday that every adult U.S. citizen would receive a $5,000 “Trump dividend”<\/a> if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm election. Trump likened the proposed payments to a corporation distributing money to its shareholders.<\/p>\n The proposal would cost well over $1 trillion. Trump said recipients would have to spend the money in the United States, while commentators questioned the plan’s legality and propriety and warned about its potential effects on the national debt and inflation.<\/p>\n President Donald Trump pledged Wednesday to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections.<\/p>\n Joe Snell, The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Vice President JD Vance defended the proposal, saying tariff revenue could be used to reward American workers. But not all Republicans were convinced. U.S Rep. Chip Roy of Austin questioned how the government would pay for a plan costing more than $1 trillion.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: Republicans look to Dallas to expand their reach in big cities<\/a><\/p>\n Senate candidate James Talarico\u2019s faith<\/a> and his understanding of Christianity was a hot topic for Republican leaders on night one of the GOP midterm convention in Dallas.<\/p>\n Talarico’s previous statements about God, gender and Christianity have been under a watchful eye as he inches closer to his election day race<\/a> for U.S. Senate against current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.<\/p>\n U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill, who represents parts of Frisco, said during his remarks Wednesday that Talarico is an extreme and deceptive candidate. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s somebody who will hollow out your most deeply held Christian faith and wear it like a skin suit,\u201d said Gill. \u00a0<\/p>\n President Donald Trump referenced Talarico in his speech late Wednesday night. Trump said Talarico “claimed that the Ten Commandments are a form of fascism.” \u00a0<\/p>\n Related: Talarico\u2019s faith becomes a frequent target of Republican messaging at GOP convention in Dallas<\/a><\/p>\n Stars are stuck along Elm Street in a mock \u201cJeffery Epstein Walk of Shame\u201d in Dallas, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n Angela Piazza\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Along a stretch of Elm Street near Dealey Plaza and The Sixth Floor Museum, passersby might spot more than a dozen shiny blue stars affixed to the sidewalk. At the beginning of the display, a circular sticker features a picture of Jeffrey Epstein<\/a> with the words \u201cWalk of Shame\u201d above it.<\/p>\n Each star bears the name of a figure in government or business and includes a QR code linking to an article about that person. Among those named are President Donald Trump and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg<\/a>. Although each star features a different name, all include images of Epstein.<\/p>\n Signs depicting a Jeffrey Epstein ‘Walk of Shame’ and ‘GOP Gone Wild’ messages appeared in downtown Dallas, not far from the GOP midterm convention.<\/p>\n Elissa Jorgensen, The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n At the intersection of Elm and North Austin streets, two collages of magazine-style posters have been placed on the side of a building. Both are titled \u201cGOP gone WILD.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReal scandals!\u201d one reads.<\/p>\n Some posters name specific people, including Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Others refer more broadly to federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.<\/p>\n Related: Survivors push for answers as Epstein files \u2018reading room\u2019 opens in Dallas<\/a><\/p>\n Marco Hunter-Lopez, a junior at Wylie East High School, told his teachers that he\u2019d be missing classes Wednesday and Thursday to attend the convention. He plans to ask Texas GOP chair D\u2019Rinda Randall for an absentee note. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI’m watching the president speak,\u201d Marco said. \u201cI’ll have to do my work online on Google Classroom or something.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n Wylie, like other Dallas suburbs,<\/a> has been at the center of debates over the changing religious and racial makeup of Texas. Many Texas Republicans have made opposition to Shariah<\/a> and new mosques a major pillar of their campaigns this year. \u00a0<\/p>\n Marco and his classmate Clarissa Kima were gifted free tickets from the Texas GOP to \u201cincentivize\u201d students who had been involved with the party. Both students are leaders of a Turning Point chapter at their school.<\/p>\n Marco and Clarissa plan to take ideas they hear at the convention back to their Turning Point chapter in Wylie where they help identify classmates who, as they put it, are conservative but don\u2019t know it yet. \u00a0<\/p>\n Related: These high schoolers missed class for Dallas\u2019 midterm GOP convention<\/a><\/p>\n The Rev. Robert Jeffress<\/a>, senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas, will speak Thursday at the convention.<\/p>\n Jeffress is a stalwart supporter of President Donald Trump<\/a>. During the president\u2019s first campaign, Jeffress was one of several evangelical faith leaders on Trump\u2019s faith advisory council<\/a>. Evangelical Christians have been a loyal base for Trump for over ten years.<\/p>\n First Baptist Dallas, a prominent megachurch affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, is rebuilding after a devastating fire<\/a> destroyed its historic sanctuary two years ago. Jeffress\u2019 theology from the pulpit, Fox News<\/a> and the national stage have made him one of America\u2019s most influential evangelical voices.\u00a0<\/p>\n Owner Haley Popp poses for a photo at Hive Bakery in Flower Mound, Texas, Saturday, July 11, 2026.<\/p>\n Juan Figueroa\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Hive Bakery in Flower Mound welcomed President Donald Trump to Texas with a pointed message<\/a>. The bakery is selling frosted sugar cookies decorated with the words “F— Trump” to mark the GOP midterm convention in Dallas.<\/p>\n “Orange Face is literally breaking laws left and right,” Haley\u00a0Popp<\/a> wrote this week on Facebook, referring to the president’s tanned glow. “We\u2019re still baffled that there are people in America who still support this fa$cist regime. So, we\u2019ll do what we do best. Speak out.”<\/p>\n Hive sold out of the cookies Tuesday through online pre-orders. The initial Facebook post has received some 2,000 comments, sparking both delight and fury.<\/p>\n This is not the first time Hive Bakery has ignited an uproar with its baked goods. In July,\u00a0Popp said she was not celebrating July 4<\/a> and instead made cookies that read “Under distress.” The post was shared on X by an influential, far-right group, spurring a flood of angry phone calls and emails and long lines that wrapped around the shopping center from supportive customers.<\/p>\n “I refuse to be caged,” she said. “You can\u2019t tell me what to do. It\u2019s my business. It\u2019s my life.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: Flower Mound bakery taunts Trump with viral cookies as GOP convention begins in Dallas<\/a><\/p>\n Dallas developer and co-chair of the Dallas Host Committee, Ray Washburne, said on NBC5’s Lone Star Politics on Sunday that he does not expect the city to cover the convention’s expenses.<\/p>\n The committee said it raised $45 million in private donations to cover the convention.<\/p>\n People hold the Paxton signs as President Donald Trump speaks during the Republican convention at American Airlines Center, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n Chitose Suzuki\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Dallas officials estimate the city will spend $2.5 million in event-related costs<\/a>, said Chief of Public Safety Dominique Artis in a memo last week. \u00a0<\/p>\n The city is anticipating $1.8 million in police costs, $200,000 for Dallas Fire-Rescue, $25,000 for emergency management and crisis response and $25,000 for transportation support.\u00a0<\/p>\n The committee said it will determine final expenses after the convention.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t plan on the city being on the hook for anything,\u201d Washburne said.<\/p>\n – Devyani Chhetri and staff reporters \u00a0<\/p>\n Related: TV Talk: Dallas not expected to be \u2018on the hook\u2019 for GOP convention costs, fundraiser says<\/a><\/p>\n Several media outlets will be streaming the convention and speeches as they\u2019re happening.<\/p>\n The Dallas Morning News’ website will be hosting an online stream of the festivities, including speeches from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD\u00a0Vance, beginning Wednesday.<\/p>\n C-SPAN<\/a> announced live coverage of day two of the convention to begin at 2\u00a0p.m. Thursday and can be watched on its website.<\/p>\n PBS News<\/a> is going to host live coverage starting at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Day one<\/a> and day two<\/a> live streams of the convention can be found on the news site’s YouTube channel.<\/p>\n FOX News<\/a> will present live coverage from Dallas on both days of the convention on several of its daytime and primetime shows. A list of the shows can be found on its site.<\/p>\n Related: Trump, Vance among many to speak at Republican midterm convention in Dallas<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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