Donald Trump is speaking at the Republican Party's first midterms convention in Texas, as he seeks to energise the party ahead of November's elections
"When I'm on the ticket, Republicans always do very well," he tells the crowds
"I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot," he says, lamenting that incumbent presidents often struggle in midterm elections
His comments speak to the challenge Republicans face both this year and in 2028: Trump won't be on the ballot again, our correspondent Daniel Bush writes from the room
What are the midterms? Read our quick recap
Familiar faces from Trump's inner circle, including Vice-President JD Vance, are also expected to deliver speeches across the two-day event in Dallas
But Democrats have called the event a "flashy" distraction from real issues
Is Trump still the party's greatest electoral asset? Or has he become a liability, our North America editor asks
Staying on the topic of the Iran conflict, which has escalated again in recent days, Trump calls Tehran the "bully" of the Middle East.
He also muses again about renaming the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Iran, the Trump Strait.
The president has recently renamed Lake Ontario as "Lake America" in the US, as he escalates a trade war with Canada.
Trump blames his predecessors for "trillions of dollars in waste and green energy scams", saying "it was them that caused the affordability - to use their word - crisis".
"I'm bringing the prices way down, way, way down," the president says.
He adds that the price of food and "almost every other item are rapidly going down", while the price of oil will also go down when "we win the war with Iran".
Oil prices rose to $100 (£74) a barrel earlier on Wednesday, after the US and Iran attacked tankers in the Gulf region and Yemen's Houthis hit oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.
Do Republicans at the convention centre blame Trump for the high oil prices? We spoke to several people earlier:
The US president hits out at Democrats' policies on issues like immigration, touting his administration's policies as more successful.
The Democrats "gave us the worse and most dangerous border in American history", Trump says, adding that, with his administration, the US has "the strongest and most secure border in our country's history".
"It's like we're living in a different country than two years ago," he says.
Trump is now speaking about Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for the US Senate in the midterms.
It does not start like a typical endorsement.
"The fact is that some may not like the way he dresses. I don't," Trump said, before adding, "although tonight he looked very spiffy in his blue suit."
Image source, EPAPaxton stepped out in a blue suit and red tie in Dallas
"You may not like the way he looks," Trump continues. "But here's the news: in the history of Texas, he is the single greatest attorney general you've ever had, and maybe the top attorney general in the whole United States."
Paxton, a staunch Trump ally who has faced controversy during his tenure as attorney general, is running against Democratic state lawmaker James Talarico.
The seat has gone Republican in recent decades, but Democrats are hoping for an upset.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe US president next moves to talking about states that have seen the most highly contested races - known as swing states.
He says is going to visit every one of these states to campaign for congresspeople and senators.
"We can win every one of those races, but I'm going to go to every one of those states," Trump says, adding there will be rallies.
Image source, ReutersA loss for Republicans in November would mean to "lose your border, you're going to lose your tax cuts, you're going to lose your safety and security", Donald Trump says.
"You will be going through hell just like you did just two years ago," he says, adding the US used to be the "laughing stock" of the world, but that no one is laughing anymore.
Daniel Bush
Washington correspondent, reporting from
Going back to his first term in office, Republicans have lost ground when President Donald Trump isn't on the ballot. On Wednesday, he implored the Republican base to reverse the trend.
"I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot," Trump says in his speech at the midterm convention in Dallas.
The remark is an acknowledgment by Trump that he remains the party's best driver of turnout.
It may be true, but it also speaks to the challenge Republicans have both in 2026 and 2028.
Trump won't be on the ballot again, and though he can continue campaigning for the party, there isn't a clear successor who can rally the party base quite like Trump.
Image source, Getty ImagesTrump next invokes an oft-cited statistic, that the presidents' party tends to lose seats in Congress in the midterm elections.
"We've got to change that," Trump tells supporters, urging them to "pretend I'm on the ballot" and turn out to vote in November.
Trump touts how well his second presidential term has been going so far, saying: "This has been the most successful two years, financially and every other way in the history of the presidency."
"I want you to remember me in four or five years when this country is rocketing. Remember, I'm the one that got it started," he adds.
Trump starts his speech by praising the first ever Republican midterm convention and reminiscing on the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence.
He says the upcoming November midterm elections will be some of the most important in US history, calling them a test that could determine the country's next 250 years.
"If we hand America's future to the radical left Democrats...it will be a tragedy," he says. "Vote Republican and we will leave the world in our dust for generations to come."
His comments are met with chants of "USA".
Image source, Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump has now taken the stage to deliver his keynote speech.
Stay with us as we bring you the key lines, and you can click watch live to stream it above.
Image source, Getty ImagesAs we wait for Trump to speak, we can see Health Secretary RFK Jr, Vice-President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shaking hands and chatting.
Kayla Epstein
US reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesUS Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke at the Republicans' midterm convention on Wednesday night, putting the nation’s most powerful law enforcement official smack in the middle of an explicitly political event.
He touted the administration’s aggressive work to pursue fraud and deport people in the country illegally.
"To evil men and women it his country know this: President Trump will hold you accountable," he said.
It’s a major departure from precedent. Even though US attorneys general ultimately answer to the president, they typically avoid making their work appear political. That has usually included skipping events like party conventions.
Donald Trump has arrived at the convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, according to reporters travelling with the president.
The lineup on night one of this Republican convention includes lawmakers and candidates running in the November election.
“If we lose Texas, we lose the common-sense revolution. If we lose the common-sense revolution, we lose America,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running as the state's Republican Senate candidate, says.
Image source, Getty Images“If we lose Texas, we lose the commonsense revolution. If we lose the commonsense revolution, we lose America,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the state's Republican Senate candidate, said at the convention.
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesUS radio personality and comedian Adam Carolla threw jabs at California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Image source, Getty ImagesOklahoma Republican Lt. Gov. candidate T.W. Shannon, who was former Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, speaks at the convention.
Donald Trump is in his car on the way to the convention centre in Dallas, according to reporters travelling with the president.
Image source, ReutersIllinois Governor JB Pritzker travelled to Dallas to stomp for Democratic candidates
While tonight is about Republicans and their bid to push candidates in competitive races, Democrats have also been speaking in Texas.
Ahead of tonight’s convention, Illinois' Democratic Governor JB Pritzker travelled south to Dallas to stump for Democratic candidates in Texas. Chiefly James Talarico, who is running in a close election with Republican Ken Paxton for US Senate.
"This bizarre Republican midterm convention here can't paper over the fact that Republicans have done nothing to earn your vote," Pritzker said.
"Donald Trump is hoping that a flashy prime time event will make you forget that his trade war is killing costs for families at the grocery store, his war in Iran is killing ranchers and farmers and their way of life, and his war on the working families of this country [is] raising the costs of healthcare and housing."
Sarah Smith
North America editor, reporting from Dallas
This unusual convention was Donald Trump's idea. And he will be the star of the show.
He is delivering the keynote address tonight and the closing speech tomorrow night. He clearly believes that the more voters see of him the more likely they are to vote Republican in November’s midterm elections.
But is President Trump still his party’s greatest electoral asset? Or has he become a liability?
Voters are angry about the high cost of living and deeply frustrated about the war in Iran which is helping to push prices up. And many of them directly blame Donald Trump.
The question is whether they will punish his Republican candidates at the ballot box in November.
Sakshi Venkatraman
US reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesEvery four years, the US holds a slate of important elections that shape the political future of the country.
These elections don't choose the president. In fact, they fall in the middle of the president's four-year term. That's how they get their name: the midterms.
And they're coming up this November.
Here's what you need to know:
Vice-President JD Vance, who is set to speak at the Republican convention on Thursday night, has arrived in Dallas, Texas.
Image source, Getty Images