The Republican Party is promoting its speaker lineup for its 2026 Midterm Republican Convention in Dallas, Texas on September 9 and 10 at the American Airlines Center. The event features President Donald Trump as the headliner.
Other featured speakers include: Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr., Mehmet Oz, HUD Secretary Scott Turner, former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the eldest son of the President, Donald Trump, Jr., and Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Just want to flag here that our disgraceful Attorney General is speaking at another political rally, because he has neither judgment nor honor. This was obvious, yet the Senate confirmed him, to join in his ignominy https://t.co/EfFy09yqZ7
— Gregg Nunziata (@greggnunziata) September 7, 2026
Veteran of the conservative legal movement and former DOJ attorney Gregg Nunziata, responded to the announcement, writing: “Just want to flag here that our disgraceful Attorney General is speaking at another political rally, because he has neither judgment nor honor. This was obvious, yet the Senate confirmed him, to join in his ignominy.”
Historically, the U.S. Attorney General largely avoids engaging in partisan campaign activities to maintain an appearance of neutrality in law enforcement. Yet after Senate Republicans confirmed Blanche, he spoke at a political rally on Long Island and praised Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee running for New York Governor against Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul. At the rally, Blanche said Blakeman “is doing everything we need him to do to back the blue, to support law enforcement, and to make this county a safe county we can all raise our kids in.”
In response to Blanche’s appearance, Public Citizen filed a formal complaint with the Office of Special Counsel alleging that the newly confirmed AG violated the Hatch Act. The complaint says: “The Attorney General is a position classified as “restricted employee” under the Hatch Act. It is illegal for a restricted employee to take an active part in partisan political campaigns.”
Former Heritage Foundation economic policy expert Joel Griffiths also responded to Blanche’s speaking spot at the Midterm Republican Convention, offering an “alternative” keynote speaker lineup (see below) representing a vision of what a Republican Party not dominated by Trump might look like.
Griffiths’ speakers included Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and former Vice President Mike Pence, among others.
[NOTE: Griffiths is currently a senior fellow at Pence’s organization, Advancing American Freedom.]
Here’s one of many alternate lineups. pic.twitter.com/wdeQj8oVcI
— Joel Griffith (@joelgriffith) September 7, 2026