Democrat John Fetterman praises Republican colleague and rejects ‘socialism’ in surprise midterm convention video – live
NEWS | 10 September 2026
From 54m ago 20.04 EDT New York congressman defends attending convention as some Republicans in swing districts steer clear Adam Gabbatt Reporting from Dallas Mike Lawler, the vulnerable Republican congressman running for reelection in New York, has defended his decision to attend the midterm convention. As we reported earlier, numerous Republicans running in swing districts have stayed away from the event, wary of being associated with Trump, but Lawler is among those due to speak here on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters outside the convention hall, Lawler was why he decided to appear at the Trump-heavy event, when others have stayed away. “Well, he’s the president of the United States, and whether people want to say yay or nay, the fact is he’s the president. Two, this is an opportunity to talk about what we’ve actually done, and my speech is going to focus on what I’ve delivered for my district, and in fact, standing up to the president to do it,” Lawler said. Lawler represents New York’s 17th district, which Kamala Harris won, narrowly, in 2024, and the Cook report rates the race as a “toss up” between Lawler and Cait Conley, his Democratic opponent. He claimed he has “loudly and vocally pushed back” against Trump on issues including funding to Ukraine, adding: “I have the ability to deal with the president, just screaming and yelling and saying ‘I hate Donald Trump’ gets you there. What does that deliver for your constituents? Nothing.” Members of Congress reportedly had to pay $25,000 to attend the convention, but Lawler said he hadn’t stumped up that amount. “I didn’t pay anything other than a plane ticket and a hotel room,” he said. Share Updated at 20.57 EDT 8m ago 20.50 EDT Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, addressed attendees at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas, where he slammed former president Joe Biden. He accused Biden and Democrats of bringing the US “to the brink of ruin”. “They opened our borders and shuttered our factories. They imposed one set of rules on American workers, while allowing our competitors to play by another, inflation soared to a 40-year high,” Bessent said. This, despite the fact that current prices are actually higher than when Biden left office in 2025, according to the latest inflation date. “This summer, we celebrated what our founders began. This fall, we will decide faithfully how we preserve it,” Bessent added. “We’ve come a long way under President Trump. Now it falls on us to show up when it matters the most to continue this fight.” Share 28m ago 20.31 EDT Here are a few more pictures from the GOP midterm convention View image in fullscreen Dr Mehmet Oz walks on stage on the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center, 09 September 2026. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Attendees watch the program on the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas, 09 September 2026. Photograph: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Attorney general Todd Blanche speaks on stageat the American Airlines Center, 09 September 2026. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Share 54m ago 20.04 EDT New York congressman defends attending convention as some Republicans in swing districts steer clear Adam Gabbatt Reporting from Dallas Mike Lawler, the vulnerable Republican congressman running for reelection in New York, has defended his decision to attend the midterm convention. As we reported earlier, numerous Republicans running in swing districts have stayed away from the event, wary of being associated with Trump, but Lawler is among those due to speak here on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters outside the convention hall, Lawler was why he decided to appear at the Trump-heavy event, when others have stayed away. “Well, he’s the president of the United States, and whether people want to say yay or nay, the fact is he’s the president. Two, this is an opportunity to talk about what we’ve actually done, and my speech is going to focus on what I’ve delivered for my district, and in fact, standing up to the president to do it,” Lawler said. Lawler represents New York’s 17th district, which Kamala Harris won, narrowly, in 2024, and the Cook report rates the race as a “toss up” between Lawler and Cait Conley, his Democratic opponent. He claimed he has “loudly and vocally pushed back” against Trump on issues including funding to Ukraine, adding: “I have the ability to deal with the president, just screaming and yelling and saying ‘I hate Donald Trump’ gets you there. What does that deliver for your constituents? Nothing.” Members of Congress reportedly had to pay $25,000 to attend the convention, but Lawler said he hadn’t stumped up that amount. “I didn’t pay anything other than a plane ticket and a hotel room,” he said. Share Updated at 20.57 EDT 1h ago 19.56 EDT Congressman Mike Collins, the Georgia Republican who will face Senator Jon Ossoff in the state’s US Senate race in November, is now speaking at the GOP midterm convention. Ahead of his appearance on stage, a video about Laken Riley, the University of Georgian nursing student who was murdered by an undocumented immigant in 2024, was played for the audience in Dallas. Riley’s death became a flashpoint for the hard-right to eventually introduce, and pass, legislation that mandates the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft-related crimes, and allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government if they believe their states have been harmed by its failure to enforce immigration laws. Several House and Senate Democrats, including Osoff, joined Republicans to advance the bill, which Trump signed into law last year. “Every life taken by an illegal immigrant is preventable, but it can only be stopped when we have leaders that will prioritize Americans,” said Collins, who was one of the legislation’s authors. “I sat in Jon Ossoff’s office and demanded that he help America remember the name of our shared constituent, but no, he wouldn’t lift a finger to help me. He forgot her name until it was politically convenient.” Share Updated at 20.02 EDT 1h ago 19.42 EDT A reminder that Senator John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Democrat, has been frequently dodging work, as well as his own constituents, the Wall Street Journal reported last week. The Journal reported that Fetterman has forgone many of the duties of his office to focus on supporting Israel and making the rounds in conservative media. The Senator has also reportedly made a habit of denying or canceling meetings with constituents, including, in one case, bailing on a group of paralyzed veterans who’d arrived at his office. Share 1h ago 19.31 EDT Radio host Adam Carolla just joked with the crowd in Dallas, saying that Donald Trump is backstage. “I just saw the man,” Carolla said. “Actually, I was lying. He’s not in the building yet.” Share 2h ago 19.27 EDT Fetterman says he is always going to reject 'extremes and socialism' in surprise video message praising Republican colleague at GOP convention Senator John Fetterman’s video message, ahead of Senator Dave McCormick’s speech in Dallas, has just aired. In the video, Fetterman is seen standing outside the Mon Valley Works – a processing plant operated by US Steel in Pittsburgh. “Yes, I’m a Democrat. Why am I here talking to you today? Because well, I’m a commonsense Democrat. I’m always going to stand with America,” the Pennsylvania lawmaker, who has increasingly broken with his party since he was elected in 2022, said in the pre-recorded message. “I’m always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life. Dave McCormick is the kind of senator that gets the job done, and he’s going to fight for Pennsylvania.” In the stunning display of support for a Republican colleague in the Senate, Fetterman called McCormick his “great friend”, and said that he will work with him and Donald Trump “to fight and defend the steel way of life”. Share Updated at 19.39 EDT 2h ago 19.17 EDT Ohio Senator John Husted, another Republican facing a tough race in November, spent time attacking his Democratic challenger, Sherrod Brown – a former senator who lost his seat in 2024. “It’s also hard to explain why Joe Biden and Sherrod Brown raised our taxes to fund benefits for illegals and shift our jobs to China,” Husted said. “Sherrod Brown put Shanghai over Steubenville and Beijing over Brunswick, didn’t he, Ohio?” Share 2h ago 19.11 EDT One of the more vulnerable Republicans who IS at the GOP midterm convention is Representative Rob Bresnahan – a Pennsylvania Republican who flipped his seat red in 2024, but is facing a tough race this November. Bresnahan is hoping to fed off Paige Cognetti, the Democratic mayor of Scranton. Bresnahan spent most of his speech focused on his battleground district’s industrial roots. “When manufacturers can keep more of what they earn, they can buy equipment, hire workers, and train apprentices,” the congressman told the crowd in Dallas. “I’m ready to keep fighting to preserve these tax cuts and stop Democrats from repealing them.” Bresnahan barely mentioned Trump by name, and avoided talking about social issues. “Our future depends on making what America needs right here at home, with American workers not relying on other countries to do it for us, our future depends on ensuring the next generation can earn a good living in the communities that built this country from the ground up,” he said. Share
Author: Tom Ambrose. Shrai Popat. Christopher Hippensteel. Lucy Campbell.
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