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Live updates: Trump promises $5K 'dividend' to all adult Amercians if GOP keeps control of Congress

Speakers who preceded him attacked their Democratic opponents as "radicals."

Last Updated: September 9, 2026, 10:57 PM EDT

President Donald Trump promised the crowd at the GOP's first-ever midterm convention Wednesday that if Republicans hold on to the House and Senate he'll issue a $5,000 "dividend" to every adult American.

Speakers who preceded the president took aim at their Democratic midterm opponents, characterizing them as "radicals" and "dangerous."

Trump and Republicans from across the country are in Dallas for two nights to support the slate of candidates running this year and to tout the administration's agenda going into November in their first-ever midterm convention.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Sep 09, 2026, 11:04 PM EDT

Bessent warns of 'socialist hellscape," touts tariffs

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argued that "it's a time for choosing" in the upcoming elections, arguing Trump is urging voters to prevent the "socialist hellscape" he says America will turn into if Republicans lose their majority -- while presenting the economy in positive terms.

"As it turns out, Washington wasn't incapable of working for the American people. All we needed was a new president," Bessent said, later adding, "President Trump has turned this country around once before, and he's doing it again."

Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent speaks during the Republican National Midterm Convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Sept. 9, 2026.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Bessent also touted Trump's tariffs strategy.

"The president's plan was never just a tax cut, never just a tax cut. His economic program is bolstered by trade deals and deregulation, and tonight, a new industrial super cycle is moving," he said. "From investment into production, blueprints to paychecks, everything from GDP to factory payrolls is firing up."

Despite costs rising today as well, Bessent pointed to cost-of-living pressures in previous years, and blamed "the radical left" for it.

-ABC News' Fritz Farrow

Sep 09, 2026, 9:53 PM EDT

Not quite a packed house

As the president began his speech, there were several rows of empty seats in some pockets in the American Airlines Center.

Pockets of empty seats were visible as President Donald Trump began his address to the Republican midterm convention, Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas.
Rachel Scott/ABC News

Trump often brags about crowd size and loves to see a packed arena.

-ABC News’ Rachel Scott

Sep 09, 2026, 9:43 PM EDT

Trump implores crowd to vote like he’s on the ballot

Trump told the crowd at American Airlines Center that Republicans need to vote like he's on the ballot in November.

"This has been the most successful two years, financially and every other way in the history of the presidency," Trump said.

President Donald Trump speaks at the Republican convention, Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas.
Alex Brandon/AP

"So I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot. I'm on the ballot. I'm on the ballot. Just one more time, because if we lose, you're going to lose your border. You're going to lose your tax cuts. You're going to lose your safety and security. you're going to lose your wealth. Our country is going through hell. You will be going through hell, just like you did just two years ago," he said.

Sep 09, 2026, 8:36 PM EDT

Donalds blames Democrats for affordability crisis

One of the major themes of the convention is Republicans pushing what they call common-sense policies compared to Democrats and Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Rep. Byron Donalds discussed the commonality that Texas and Florida share in building policies based on that.

"Florida and Texas have something absolutely essential in common. Our two states prove every single day that Republican policies built on common sense work for the American people," Donalds said.

Rep. Byron Donalds, candidate for Florida governor, gestures as he arrives on stage at the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas, Sept. 9, 2026.
Brian Snyder/Reuters

Turning his attention to Democrats, Donalds said that they created the affordability crisis and that Americans should not trust them to fix it.

"But let me ask all of you here tonight: Do you let the arsonist become the firefighter? Because make no mistake, the Democrats created the inflation that's crippling families, and we, the Republican Party, we have the resumé and the credentials and the plans and the policies to get our country back on track," Donalds said.

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

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