Members of the military and police officers aplaud as U.S. President Donald Trump enters a stage during the Steel Across America event featuring a 21-foot steel beam recovered from the World Trade Centre South Tower, on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 8, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
President Donald Trump's efforts to drag the GOP to his "happy place" in Dallas, Texas, this week are another sign that he doesn't see the oncoming wave that the midterms could bring, according to a new analysis.
Veteran journalist Dan Rather argued in a new essay for his Substack, "Ready," that the GOP convention in Dallas could spell disaster for Republicans in the midterms. Instead of knocking on doors to get new voters, Republicans will spend their time in a convention center appeasing Trump, even as polls show that Republicans are likely to face steep losses in November, Rather noted.
"Organizers are hoping to raise money and energize the base," Rather wrote. "This way, Trump will be surrounded by his mega-fans, his happy place. But eight weeks before the midterm elections, the base should not be the concern. Forty-four percent of Americans now identify as independents, according to Gallup. They will be a huge factor in November. Ignore them at your peril."
However, that strategy is not without risk, Rather continued.
"Trump and his Republican sycophants will be preaching to the choir in Dallas, when they could be reaching out to undecided voters and working to keep control of Congress by helping members who are fighting for their political lives," Rather wrote. "But he can’t get out of his own way."
Rather also noted that recent predictions have suggested Republicans could lose up to 35 House seats and five Senate seats.