Trump pledges $5,000 to every American - and other takeaways from Republican midterms convention

President Donald Trump addressed the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas, for approximately two hours before the midterm elections. During his speech, Trump made critical remarks about political opponents such as former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama. He also highlighted the achievements of his presidency and made promises, including a potential $5000 dividend if Republicans won both the House and Senate in the upcoming midterms on November 3.

CNN's Alejandra Jaramillo reported that Trump's speech lasted about 107 minutes, while his official address spanned roughly 90 minutes. Long-winded speeches are not uncommon for Trump; during his 2024 presidential nomination acceptance, he spoke for 92 minutes, and in 2016, his nomination speech lasted around 74 minutes. The longest single speech attributed to Trump was at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in 2019, where he spoke for approximately 122 minutes.

Trump's lengthy speech drew criticism from several commentators. NBC News' Garrett Haake commented, "As President Trump passes the 90 minute mark of his speech and insists nobody has left the arena, it's clear that lots of folks have left the arena." Journalist Aaron Rupar noted Trump's difficulty in reading and slurring heavily as he approached the two-hour mark.

Other observers highlighted various claims made during the speech, such as Trump calling Texas representative Ken Paxton "ugly," begging the audience not to leave their seats, and suggesting renaming New Mexico to "New America." Critics pointed out Trump's misleading statements, including the assertion that the White House ballroom wasn't funded by taxpayer money and proposing to rename the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean in America's honor.