Members of Donald Trump's inner circle privately acknowledged a significant planning oversight for the Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention, according to New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman. The convention is scheduled to take place next Wednesday and Thursday in Dallas.
The conflict arises because the first two games of the new NFL season will occur on the same days as the political event. This scheduling blunder means the convention will likely not attract the viewership intended, a point noted by MS NOW's "Morning Joe" host Jonathan Lemire.
"So he’s not even going to get the eyeballs he wanted," Lemire observed. Haberman confirmed this, stating, "And that was an error that some people around him privately acknowledge was something they had not been paying attention to."
Haberman suggested that this oversight reflects the shrinking size of Trump's advising circle. "They’re not looking at broader pictures like this," she said. "They are in survival mode."
Some members of Congress and senators who are expected to attend have privately expressed reservations. Haberman noted that while some are amenable to the convention, others are reluctant to leave their campaign trails and potentially provide Democrats with campaign material by appearing at the event.
While Trump himself does not appear overly concerned about potential Republican challenges in the 2026 midterms, Haberman indicated that most individuals within his party and his advisors are.