Republican leaders insist Dallas no-shows aren't running from Trump

Republican leaders insist Dallas no-shows aren't running from Trump

DALLAS — House Republican leaders have a message for anyone reading the GOP no-shows in Dallas as Republicans distancing themselves from President Trump: Don't delude yourself.

Why it matters: GOP leaders are convinced the convention is delivering on its promise to fire up Trump voters for November. The no-shows shouldn't be read as a lack of enthusiasm for the president, they insist.

  • "I don't buy it," Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) told Axios when asked Thursday whether Republicans are running from Trump.
  • "It's Washington D.C. hogwash," National Republican Congressional Committee chair Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) told Axios at the convention Thursday.
  • "[Trump] is a total asset, and the more he gets a stage like this to talk about what he's actually accomplished for the American people, the better," Hudson said.

    • Driving the news: Only 100 lawmakers and candidates planned to come to the convention, Axios previously reported, with most battleground members staying home.

  • Emmer blamed some of the absences on the convention coming together late, saying members had already scheduled fundraisers and campaign appearances.
  • He said he was "pleasantly surprised" by the turnout given that members were being asked to contribute and sacrifice valuable time on the campaign trail.
  • "Trump has got us here," Emmer said. "The policies that we were able to pass because of his leadership are Republican policies."

    • Between the lines: If there was any doubt about the convention's Trump-first strategy, the president erased it Wednesday night.

  • "I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot," Trump told the crowd.
  • Framed photos of the president are also plastered around the halls of the American Airlines Center.

    • Yes, but: The Trump-first strategy comes at a time when Republicans in competitive races are navigating political headwinds over the economy, rising consumer prices and the war in Iran.

  • And the decision by most battleground House Republicans to stay home underscores the various calculations candidates are making about how best to spend the final weeks before Election Day.
  • Most Republicans are too scared to bluntly tell Trump how unpopular he is, Axios Marc Caputo previously reported.
  • "We have no choice. We're stuck on the boat with him whether we like it or not," said a top Republican campaign official who's in contact with Trump's political operation.

    • Zoom in: The overwhelmingly pro-Trump crowd also offered a glimpse of the pressure Republican leaders on the other side of the Capitol face from the party's base: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) was booed when Trump mentioned him from the stage, prompting the president to defend him.

  • Thune, who has faced Trump's ire over the Senate's failure to pass the SAVE America Act, notably did not have a speaking slot at the convention.
  • Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) also faced some light heckling over the legislation during his remarks Wednesday.

    • The bottom line: GOP leaders are still declaring the experiment a success, with Hudson telling Axios the midterm convention is here to stay.

  • "This is great for our party, great for morale," he said.