The two-day Republican midterm convention kicked off in Dallas on Wednesday with a sea of largely empty chairs as attendees struggled to stay energized and speakers smiled as they looked out into a largely empty arena.
The so-called “Trump-a-palooza” is underway at the American Airlines Center as the GOP looks to rally support with less than two months to go before the election, but it got off to a humiliating start.
As speakers took the stage during the first hour, the floor of the arena where folding chairs had been set up was largely full. But with an estimated one thousand seats on the floor, it was roughly one-twentieth of the total seats.
Beyond the floor seating, just a few sections had filled up on the first level while most were largely empty. The rest of the arena held barely a smattering of people seated in any section as the festivities got underway.
And on stage, an “L” fell off the word “Dallas” on the podium as Republican National Committee chair Joe Gruters attempted to hype up Trump’s policies despite the unpopularity of the president.
It was unclear whether more Trump supporters or media were seated throughout the upper levels of the arena as people wandered in and out.
There were still several hours to go before Trump arrived to deliver his keynote address on day one of the convention, but people were barely trickling in as the first round of participants took the stage.
The first round of GOP candidates, including Reps. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin and Monica De La Cruz of Texas walked out onto the stage with smiles plastered on their faces to deliver remarks to a mostly empty room.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner was the first Cabinet member to speak at the convention, but as he greeted his home state of Texas, the cheer that went up in the room was largely subdued. Very few people appeared excited to hear a Cabinet secretary.
Michael Whatley, the Republican nominee for the Senate in North Carolina, showed up soon after to a room that had barely filled in from when the event began. He is running for a seat Democrats are looking to flip blue come November, where polls show Democrat Roy Cooper with the lead.
As the speakers kept coming, one attendee, waving a Trump flag in a largely empty upper section, could be overheard suggesting the person seated near him should take a nap before the more exciting participants showed up.
Other MAGA attendees casually wandered in to survey the scene, attired in Trump gear and other patriotic attire. Those who did show up tended to sit for a bit or look around before wandering back out of the main area of the stadium.
Almost two hours after the official program began, the convention floor was still half empty, and the energy among some participants was low compared to other GOP conventions.
One state official privately admitted privately that her delegation was about 10 people short, as they had struggled to find people who could attend.
The Daily Beast also noticed a large number of “alternates” - a person appointed by the party to substitute for an absent delegate. Among them was Jack Ethridge, from Ohio.
Asked if it was a risk for Trump to be making the midterm campaign about him when his approval rating was at record lows, Ethridge told the Daily Beast: “On one level, yes, but on the other, there are still a lot of voters who back him despite all the criticism. Elections are decided by who turns out to vote, and I believe that part of Mr Trump’s thinking is that he needs to motivate people who still believe in his vision.”
Sitting in a section filled with empty chairs was Virgin Islands delegate Alexandria Hughes and her dog Lucia. She told the Daily Beast that she was optimistic about the party’s chances of winning the midterms and pushed aside the criticism of Trump as “nothing burgers.”
Even the president’s focus on projects such as the White House ballroom was good policy, she insisted, in the interest of national security.
Between speakers, a DJ blasted music as some people danced on the convention floor waving posters with American flags printed on them, but others remained seated looking around as if hoping to see something more interesting at to help them stay alert at Trump-a-palooza.
