President Trump is set to headline the Republican National Committee's midterm convention in Dallas next week, a two-day gathering designed to energize the GOP base ahead of November's elections. Vice President JD Vance is also scheduled to address attendees, as the party seeks to counter Democratic momentum and shore up support in key battleground states.
The convention comes at a critical moment for Republicans, with voters increasingly frustrated over the president's handling of the economy and the ongoing conflict with Iran. The administration has tried to play down the severity of the Iran war, with Vice President Vance telling reporters this week that he "wouldn't call it a war." House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) is expected to discuss the party's electoral strategy on CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
In a bid to address rising fuel costs linked to the Iran war, Trump announced a new deal with Venezuela last week that would give the U.S. "majority control" over a significant portion of the country's oil reserves. The agreement, which grants the U.S. a 55 percent "effective output" in Venezuela's 65 billion barrels of proven reserves, has been championed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who will appear on multiple Sunday shows to tout the deal. However, experts caution that the impact on U.S. gas prices may not be immediate.
The president's economic approval ratings have suffered as gas prices hit record highs. To address consumer costs, Trump signed several executive orders this week aimed at lowering beef prices, including a controversial directive to reduce tariffs on imported beef from Brazil and Argentina. The move has drawn sharp criticism from ranchers and some Republican lawmakers, who argue it will undercut domestic beef sales, since imported goods would be priced 25 percent below market. The administration has sought to mitigate the backlash by adding country-of-origin labeling requirements and allowing American ranchers to process their own meat. The order also directed the Interior Department to review endangered species protections for grey wolves, a predator of livestock — a move that has sparked further debate. Trump's beef tariff lift has become a flashpoint in the midterm campaign.
Meanwhile, the administration's foreign policy efforts continue. U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Saturday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an attempt to restart peace negotiations over the Ukraine war. The pair will travel to Kyiv on Sunday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will appear on Fox News's "Sunday Morning Futures" to discuss the diplomatic push.
The Pentagon is also in the spotlight following Army Secretary Dan Driscoll's resignation on Monday, the latest in a series of departures under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth has faced scrutiny for his efforts to reshape the military, and reports suggest he is considering Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell as Driscoll's replacement. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has called for Hegseth's firing and will join The Hill's "The Hill Sunday" this weekend.
In a related legal battle, three staffers fired from Stars and Stripes have sued the Defense Department over their dismissals, which they allege were part of a crackdown on "woke" coverage. A federal judge denied their request for an emergency injunction on Friday, but former publisher Max Lederer told MS NOW that the lawsuit will continue, calling the ruling only the "first step in the process."
On the electoral front, Missouri has asked the Supreme Court to restore a Republican-favored congressional map after a lower court barred its use in the midterms. In Maryland, the state's highest court allowed a Democrat-drawn redistricting referendum to remain on the ballot, a measure that could give the Maryland Supreme Court "original jurisdiction" over redistricting plans, potentially benefiting Democrats. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) will appear on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday to discuss these developments.
As Trump heads to Dallas, Democrats are planning counterprogramming events in the city, aiming to highlight the administration's vulnerabilities. The convention and the surrounding political maneuvering underscore the high stakes of the midterm elections, with control of Congress hanging in the balance.
