Republicans gather for "Trump-a-palooza" in Dallas - but division characterizes the convention

On the convention's website, it says that the party is gathering to "celebrate President Donald Trump's successes."

Those successes have not resonated particularly well with the American people, where only 33 percent think Donald Trump is doing an acceptable job, according to new figures from Reuters/Ipsos.

Among other things, the voters are disappointed by the protracted war in Iran, the high inflation and the expensive cost of living.

Therefore, it is not surprising that some Republicans are skeptical of the convention that takes place on September 9 to 10 in Dallas and has been nicknamed "Trump-a-palooza".

That the party holds a mid-year convention has never happened before – usually the party congress happens every four years, before the presidential election.

The initiative came from Donald Trump himself and was taken further by the Republicans. The dates were nailed down as late as June.

The idea is to give the conservative movement a boost of energy ahead of the mid-term elections on November 3.

At the moment, Democratic winds are blowing and many Republicans are worried that the party could lose one or both chambers this fall.

Therefore, Donald Trump, who has won two out of three presidential elections, has decided to make the mid-term elections a personal issue.

"Please pretend it's my name on the ballot," the president recently told supporters in South Carolina.

That message will be repeated by Donald Trump during his speech at the convention, according to Speaker Mike Johnson. The hope is that more of the president's core voters will make it to the polling stations.

But not all Republicans want a Trump stamp on their election campaigns.

When the news site Politico asked 70 Republican members of Congress if they will go to Dallas, 45 said they have other plans or haven't decided yet.

The fact that the tickets cost 25,000 dollars plays a role.

"I hadn't intended to go anyway. But the price tag made it easier," replies an anonymous congressman.

Others announce that they prefer to be at home in their constituencies to campaign.

The lack of turnout prompted Republicans to send out ticket offers earlier this week, according to The Independent. Several of the party's contributors then received text messages with the text "free tickets".

During the convention in Dallas, over a hundred people will speak, in addition to Donald Trump, also Vice President JD Vance, Senator Ted Cruz and Health Secretary Robert Kennedy.

A theme during the gathering is expected to be "the fight against communism".

Republicans want to use the successes of Democratic Socialists – like Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan – to present voters with a threat image.

- This mid-term election is like nothing else, because we are actually fighting communism now, and it is very serious. It will engage voters from coast to coast, Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News.

How many people will watch the speeches on television is unclear. While the convention is taking place, the first two games of the American football league, the NFL, are being played, including a replay of the Super Bowl final between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.