By Steve Holland, Nandita Bose and Nathan Layne
WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump will now speak on both nights of the Republican Party’s unusual midterm convention next week, a party official said on Wednesday, an expanded role that will compete for viewers with the start of the NFL season.
Trump had originally been scheduled to deliver an address on Thursday to close out the September 9-10 convention in Dallas, but now will deliver the keynote speech on Wednesday and speak after Vice President JD Vance on Thursday evening as well, the party official said on condition of anonymity.
“President Trump wants to set the tone for the entire convention,” the party official said, explaining why Trump was now going to speak on the first night.
The change comes as some party insiders have told Reuters they are concerned the Republican National Committee may struggle to attract members and activists to the event.
Trump is grappling with weak approval ratings amid voter dissatisfaction over the Iran war and persistent inflation, raising the stakes for Republican candidates fighting to preserve their party’s narrow congressional majorities in November.
The convention begins just after Labor Day on Monday, when campaigns typically start their final sprint toward Election Day.
Another senior Republican Party official, who asked to remain unidentified, said he has heard the party is struggling to attract attendees to the convention and that the White House and Trump’s political team have stepped up efforts to encourage Republicans to attend.
Organizers have expressed confidence that the American Airlines Center arena, where the convention is being held, will be filled.
One Republican operative familiar with the event, however, said he had heard the convention will allow more everyday supporters than initially planned because organizers have not been able to find enough Republican officials and donors to attend.
After months of negative headlines tied to the Iran war and rising living costs, party officials see the gathering as their best opportunity to rally voters behind Trump’s agenda ahead of the November 3 election.
Some Republicans, however, remain skeptical it can meaningfully shift voter sentiment.
The convention’s opening night will coincide with a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, airing on NBC and its streaming service, Peacock.
On Thursday night, Trump and Vance will compete for viewers with a highly anticipated NFL rivalry matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, which will stream exclusively on Netflix.
(Reporting by Steve Holland, Nandita Bose and Nathan Layne, Editing by Ross Colvin and Jamie Freed)
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