Republican officials confirmed this week that attendance at the party’s marquee midterm convention in Dallas will cost each member $25,000. The event was first proposed by Rancid Orange Fuck-Nuckle as a display of political strength ahead of the midterms. It has since become a registration fee attached to a scheduling conflict.
The convention was originally billed as a two-day showcase of the party’s midterm message. That message has not yet been released. The invoice has.
The event is set for September 9 and 10. Those dates conflict with the opening games of the NFL season. They also conflict with what several Republican aides described as the desire to remain employed.
Rep. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona told reporters he had a debate scheduled on both nights. He said he was trying to work it out. He did not specify which debate he planned to lose.
Rep. Ciscomani’s office later clarified that the debates were not a scheduling conflict but a pre-existing obligation. A spokesperson said the congressman had known about them for several days.
Rep. French Hill of Arkansas cited conflicting work stuff. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa said she had to be in her district. Rep. María Elvira Salazar said school was starting and she had family commitments.
Rep. Salazar’s office confirmed that school starts for her children that week. It did not confirm whether the convention counted as a school activity.
A Republican National Committee spokesperson described the convention as a premier networking and strategy event. “The $25,000 fee is not a deterrent,” the spokesperson said. “It ensures that only the most committed members attend.”
This is the same party currently running on fiscal discipline.
That logic has created a new category of campaign expense. Incumbents are now being asked to pay a fee to stand near the leader of their own party. Several have chosen to send neither the fee nor their presence.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who is currently trailing in her race, said she was still deciding. Rep. Rob Bresnahan said he was not sure. The convention has not announced a single confirmed speaker.
The former president’s political operation has said for weeks that the event would be fully booked. It has not released a headcount. A party spokesperson said registration was proceeding according to plan.
An internal planning memo warned that the event would go head-to-head with Thursday Night Football. The memo did not mention the convention’s own programming.
