RNC’s “Trumpapalooza” Midterm Convention Draws Hatch Act Scrutiny

The Republican National Committee has announced its inaugural midterm convention, branded “Trumpapalooza,” to be held in Dallas, Texas, in early September. RNC Chairman Joe Gruters billed the two-day gathering as a rally for the party’s down-ballot candidates. The announced roster includes Attorney General Todd Blanche, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

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The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity while on official duty. Because the Attorney General is the nation’s top law-enforcement official, his participation as a speaker at a partisan convention could place him in violation of that law. Blanche, who previously served as President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, was confirmed as Attorney General by a razor-thin Senate vote of 49-50.

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In a press release posted on the RNC website, the committee confirmed Blanche’s inclusion in the convention lineup and framed the event as a means to energize the party’s base ahead of the upcoming elections. Gruters, speaking at the announcement, emphasized the party’s confidence that voters will choose “common-sense” policies in November.

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Polls cited by the RNC indicate that President Trump’s approval rating is declining even among Republicans, yet party leaders hope the convention will mobilize the MAGA base. Control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate is viewed as pivotal in the upcoming midterm elections, prompting the RNC to stage a high-profile, Trump-centric gathering despite the legal risk posed to the Attorney General.

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• “Come November, the American people are going to see this choice clearly and they are going to deliver a landslide for common sense.” — Joe Gruters, which RNC chairman

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