Only two of 28 Republican contenders contacted about President Donald Trump’s planned midterm convention responded, revealing deep reluctance among vulnerable candidates to campaign alongside the president ahead of a crucial election season.

The Dallas gathering in September, where Trump is slated to be the featured speaker, was envisioned as a triumphant showcase to rally the party and spotlight candidates as Republicans work to defend their narrow congressional majority. Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Joe Gruters dubbed it “Trumpapalooza,” but the lopsided response lays bare growing anxiety among contenders in competitive districts about whether appearing alongside him could hurt their chances.

Trump is facing some of his weakest polling numbers in months, weighed down by his deeply unpopular war in Iran. Gas prices as high as $5 a gallon have deepened a cost-of-living crisis that voters are feeling at the pump and the checkout line alike.

The Trump Show and Its Risks

Former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake argued that candidates in competitive statewide races have little reason to make the trip. He pointed specifically to Andy Biggs, the likely Republican gubernatorial nominee in Arizona, saying he could not imagine Biggs wanting to tie himself to the president right before early voting begins.

Attending the Dallas event would force candidates to abandon crucial campaign time in their districts while becoming linked to divisive topics, Flake cautioned. Trump would likely focus heavily on relitigating the 2020 election and promoting election conspiracies, messages that fall flat with Arizona voters, according to Flake. He described the convention as a one-man show centered entirely on the president. Candidates prefer discussing their policy priorities or criticizing Democratic opponents, Flake said, objectives that become impossible when campaigning alongside Trump in another state.

A Biggs campaign spokesperson declined to say whether the candidate would attend the September event, noting that the campaign’s focus remains on the July 21 primary and that they “haven’t made any post-primary travel plans yet.” According to one Republican donor who spoke anonymously about internal party discussions, candidates benefit from maintaining distance from Trump.

The tension surrounding Biggs is not new. Although he is running with Trump’s endorsement, the two clashed in 2023 when Biggs refused to back Kevin McCarthy for House Speaker. Trump warned Biggs he would withdraw future support unless Biggs backed McCarthy, according to reports. That episode underscores the complicated, transactional nature of the president’s relationships with even his own allies.

A Convention Nobody Wants to Attend

Some Republicans are quietly calculating whether hitching themselves to Trump and his convention could cost them with the undecided voters who often decide close statewide contests. That anxiety helps explain why so few candidates were willing to commit at a precarious moment for the president.

Trump himself has muddied the message. At a cabinet meeting in late May, brushing aside the idea that Iran could out-wait him until the elections, he declared, “I don’t care about the midterms.” The line was aimed at Tehran, but it landed awkwardly for a party he’s now asking to rally in Dallas — and it sits oddly beside his own repeated warnings that Democrats will impeach him if Republicans lose Congress. For candidates weighing whether to share his stage, a president who publicly shrugs at November is a complicated headliner.

Party Officials Push Back

RNC officials reject the notion that keeping Trump at arm’s length is a smart strategy. One official said the party’s entire approach rests on the belief that the president remains a genuine electoral asset, particularly when it comes to turning out Republican voters. The official argued that Republicans are not fleeing from Trump the way some did in 2018, and that candidates are instead forging closer partnerships with the White House and its political operation.

The same official added a pointed caveat: even candidates who ultimately skip the convention may still find themselves needing Trump’s help to fire up the party’s base. It is a reminder that avoiding the president in public does not necessarily mean avoiding him altogether.

Trump’s grip on Republican primaries does appear to remain firm. A Newsweek tally found he had backed 14 primary winners and suffered just one loss as of early July, a record that lends weight to the RNC’s confidence in his pull with the base.