President Donald Trump is floating the idea of hosting a pre-midterm Republican National Convention, bragging about his administration’s “success” and claiming his party is “poised to win big.”

“We won every aspect of the Presidential Election and, based on the great success we are having, are poised to WIN BIG IN THE MIDTERMS,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday. “The results are incredible, a record pace!!! In that light, I am thinking of recommending a National Convention to the Republican Party, just prior to the Midterms. It has never been done before. STAY TUNED!!!”

The pitch comes at a precarious time. Republicans are defending razor-thin majorities in both chambers, and Trump has been leaning on Texas and other red states to redraw their district maps in the GOP’s favor. 

Historically, the party in power takes a beating in its first midterms—and Trump is dragging down his side with dismal approval ratings, with a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday putting him at just 37%.

So what exactly would Republicans be celebrating? 

Since Trump reclaimed the White House, both he and the GOP have been underwater among voters. His signature “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” has only 32% support among adults, according to an August survey from the Pew Research Center. Similarly, election analyst Nate Silver’s polling averages put Trump at a net approval rating of -8.3 points.

It certainly doesn’t help that Trump seems to be copying Democrats. His Truth Social musings come a day after Axios reported that senior Democratic officials were considering a similar convention next year to energize their base—a move that a Democratic National Committee spokesperson confirmed on Thursday.

“Americans everywhere are fired up and ready to fight back against Trump’s reckless policies—including his budget betrayal that cuts health care and food assistance for millions of people,” the spokesperson said. “To showcase our tremendous candidates running up and down the ballot and harness the amazing grassroots energy we’re already seeing, several options are on the table for next year, including hosting a large-scale gathering before the midterms.”

For Democrats, a pre-midterm event could be an opportunity to rebuild enthusiasm, raise funds, and audition 2028 hopefuls. But for Republicans, it could be a costly distraction. 

Despite Trump’s insistence that the GOP is flush with cash, House and Senate Democrats have been outraising their GOP counterparts.

In other words, the Republican National Committee’s strong national haul—more than $80 million by the end of June compared to the Democratic National Committee’s $15 million—isn’t necessarily translating into congressional strength. And a big, Trump-centric spectacle could burn through money that the party needs to defend vulnerable seats.

Still, Trump keeps pounding the table. 

“We have raised far more money than the Democrats, and are having a great time fixing all of the Country Destroying mistakes made by the Biden Administration, and watching the USA heal and prosper,” he posted. “The results are incredible, a record pace!!!”

Unsurprisingly, House Speaker Mike Johnson quickly fell in line, cheering the idea on X. 

“YES, Mr. President! Let’s go!!!!” he wrote.

But the reality is that a Republican convention before the midterms risks drawing attention not to GOP “success” but to the party’s deeply unpopular record—and to Trump himself, whose drag on the ticket is exactly what Democrats are counting on. 

If Republicans want to burn cash on a glorified Trump pep rally ahead of a likely blue wave, Democrats certainly won’t complain.