The arena is open. The menu has a comma.
ABC News, from RNC invitations the network obtained: President Donald Trump sits a Wednesday donor roundtable in Dallas at $250,000 per person. A photo with him is another $88,600. That is not the 9 p.m. keynote. That is the cash machine next to it.
A White House official told ABC First Lady Melania Trump will not attend. No reason given. She was at the last night of the 2024 Milwaukee convention. She is not on this week’s Dallas list. HuffPost, citing Politico, said 45 GOP lawmakers told the outlet they are skipping — districts, “prior obligations,” or not wanting the camera. We are not inventing who is in which suite.
ABC’s headcount for the two days: about 100 House Republicans and candidates — still about half the conference and the fall slate. 55 days to Nov. 3. The Independent reported the committee also pushed free-ticket lottery texts before the doors opened. That is a turnout problem wearing a lanyard.
This desk already filed the open and the Gruters line. We will not reprint it. We will not type Trump’s keynote before 9 p.m. ET. We will not type a crowd size we cannot count.
What this means for you
If you are watching on C-SPAN, the speech is tonight. If you are watching the money, the roundtable is the other show. If you wanted the first lady on the jumbotron, she is not on the flight.
Bottom line: $250,000 to sit down. $88,600 to smile. Melania is not in the building. The keynote is still ahead.
GLHR NEWS explains the news. Not investment, tax, or trading advice. Do your own work before you act.
