President Donald Trump headlined the first night of the Republicans’ first-ever midterm convention in Dallas, spotlighting policies about transgender people, illegal immigration and opponents who align with democratic socialism.
“We’re going to prove that America does not belong to those who hate it. America belongs to those who love it,” Trump said.
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First-night speakers largely avoided the topic polls show is top of mind for voters: the cost of living. The Iran war — and a resulting gasoline-price spike — also received little mention.
Trump and other speakers mocked high-profile Democratic Senate candidates such as Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and James Talarico in Texas.
The gathering aired opposite the NFL season opener between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. The major networks did not carry the president’s speech live.
Here, we fact-check claims around two of the night’s major themes.
In the night’s opening moments, a narrator hinted at what was to come, mentioning El-Sayed and Talarico within seconds.
El-Sayed
Trump made a slew of accusations against El-Sayed, a former Michigan public health official, saying:
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