GOP midterm convention: Trump directs crowd in a pledge to himself

The midterm convention is a prime fundraising opportunity, with elected officials and politicians at different levels taking part.

Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who is looking to close the massive financial gap between Democratic opponent James Talarico and himself, had a fundraising brunch Thursday in Dallas, which featured Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a source confirmed to ABC News.

That follows Trump-affiliated MAGA Inc.'s announcement Saturday that it would spend $10 million on Paxton’s Senate bid.

At a Republican National Committee event Thursday morning, Vice President JD Vance, who also serves as finance chair, raised $2 million for the party, a separate source familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News.

Ahead of the start of the convention on Tuesday, Rockbridge, a secretive donor network closely aligned with Vance, held a gathering to kick off the event that included Cabinet members, lawmakers and major GOP donors, two sources confirmed to ABC News. The group, which has been influential in conservative politics, was founded by Vance and investor Chris Buskirk in 2019.

-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie

DALLAS -- On the second day of the GOP midterm convention, a delegation of four House Democrats blasted Trump's promise of a $5,000 "dividend" as an "empty promise," and promised to take back authority over tariffs, restore healthcare funding and hold the Trump administration accountable if they regain control of the House.

Responding to Trump's promise to give $5,000 to every adult U.S citizen on the condition that Republicans maintain control of Congress, California Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, called the president a "known liar."

"The dividend is not happening," Garcia said. "He promised a dividend on tariffs that didn't happen. He promised a dividend on DOGE that didn't happen. He promised some strange dividend from Air Force One, what, six months ago that never happened, and so there's no one in the country that thinks somehow this new dividend is actually going to happen."

California Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove of the Judiciary Committee told ABC News that Trump's promise sounded like a "quid-pro-quo" to her.

"In the height of desperation and angst because he sees that his numbers are in the big toilet, he talked about a $5,000 check if they win. So not only is it an empty promise because he hasn't delivered on any of the others, this one came with strings attached."

-ABC News' Juhi Doshi and Lalee Ibssa

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, flanked by a few other Democratic governors in Louisville, Kentucky, told reporters on Thursday that President Donald Trump's promise of $5,000 checks to Americans if Republicans hold Congress is because the president is the “briber in chief."

"Last night, the president made himself the 'briber in chief,'" Beshear said after Trump’s promise on Wednesday night to give "every adult citizen" a $5,000 "dividend" check on the condition that Republicans maintain control of Congress.

"Where are those $2,000 rebates he promised all Americans? They absolutely never materialized," Beshear, who is attending the Democratic Governors Association’s fall meeting, later said.

Beshear told ABC News that he would celebrate how Trump asked voters at the Republicans' midterm convention to pretend "I'm on the ballot" in November.

"If Donald Trump wants to hold the convention saying this election is about him, I fully support his decision to hold the convention saying this election is totally about him. He's telling people to pretend that he's on the ballot, I want people to pretend that he's on the ballot,” Beshear said. "If you are for tariffs, vote for Donald Trump, the Republican candidate. If you are for gas being higher, vote for Donald Trump, the Republican candidate. Otherwise, vote for the Democrat."

-ABC News' Oren Oppenheim

Republicans are spending millions to put on a first-of-its kind midterm political convention in Dallas -- but they are also using the gathering to rake in millions more in fundraising.

Organizers of the GOP midterm convention in Dallas raised $45 million over several weeks to rent out the venue and put together the two-day gathering. Ray Washburne, a GOP fundraiser and developer leading the host committee, told ABC News the haul is expected to cover operating costs for the convention.

The city of Dallas expected to spend $1.8 million on the convention, according to ABC affiliate KTRK.

The main event itself is being used as a fundraising draw: House Republican members and candidates were asked to pay at least $25,000 for tickets to the event. The group distributed all 2,700 of its allotted tickets, a source told ABC News. State GOP parties were also given tickets to distribute.

Additionally, party leaders and outside political groups and campaigns have held fundraisers across town this week, including some events featuring President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel and Hannah Demissie