$5,000 to Americans, Charlie Kirk, and Iran war end date: 10 key points from Trump's RNC speech

US President Donald Trump addressed Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention nearly two hours during its opening night on Wednesday (Sep 9). He turned it into personal political rally urging voters to treat the November elections as if he himself were on the ballot, slammed Democrats, targeted former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, praised his administration's action on Iran and announced that he would go on a campaign blitz. An offer of 5000 USD and warning of losing everything also came as a part of Trump's speech. The convention was held as Republicans trying to hold on to their congressional majorities in the November 3 midterm elections.

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Here are the top talking points from Trump's speech

1. Trump Dividend: Trump made one of the most striking promises in his speech and announced that every adult US citizen could receive $5,000 if Republicans win control of both the House and Senate in the midterm elections. "Only I can make this promise to you: If the Republicans win the House and Senate, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000," Trump stated. The president also proposed that the dividend must be called “Trump Dividend.” However, he also gave a caveat. He said: “The only caveat I have is that the dividend that we're making must be spent in the United States of America. We don't want you going to Canada to spend the money.”
2. ‘I am on ballot’: Trump told voters to “pretend” he is on the ballot. Trump asked Americans to give Republicans another chance to control Congress. "On election night, we're going to prove that America does not belong to those who hate it. America belongs to those who LOVE IT!" Trump said. Hinting at another term, he said: "The choice in this election is very, very simple... I'm asking you to let us finish the job we began. Pretend that I'm on the ballot. I'm on the ballot. Just one more time."
3. Trump promises campaign blitz: Amid dipping approval ratings, Trump has put himself at the centre of the midterm elections. Trump promised that he would be a major feature in the final stretch of the race, whether Republican candidates like it or not. He pointed to about 35 of the most competitive races.
4. Trump states when Iran war will end: Trump in his speech mentioned when will the war end: “The war will be over shortly after the election.” Trump stated the conflict would end “immediately after” the US midterm elections, without providing a detailed explanation for why he expects the fighting to end on that timeline.
5. Trump predicts lower oil prices: Trump addressed rising oil prices directly, saying he expects prices to fall after the midterm elections. His remarks came as Brent crude moved above $100 a barrel amid escalating US-Iran tensions. “I think it's going to take a little bit longer than the midterm,” he said.
6. Trump's renaming obsession: Trump again floated renaming the Strait of Hormuz as “Trump Strait.” He also said that his administration has named Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” and Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” For Hormuz he said: “It’s going to be called, ladies and gentlemen — I’ll have an announcement. We’ll call it the Trump Strait, and I’m sure the Iranian leadership will be thrilled with that,” Trump said. He also said that the state of New Mexico should be renamed “New America.”
7. Trump mocks Paxton, then endorses him: Trump repeatedly mocked Texas U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton's physical appearance and fashion choices. "He may not dress right, he may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking guy I've ever seen... But you know what he is? He's the greatest attorney general in America, and he deserves to be your next senator." Trump said, Paxton is “maybe the top attorney general in the whole United States. “We have to elect Ken Paxton. We have to,” Trump said. “And if I have to, I’ll come back twice or three times.”
8. Trump targets Abdul El-Sayed: Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan was mentioned in Trump's speech. He claimed that El-Sayed’s sister “celebrated” on Oct. 7, 2023. In a 2024 video, El-Sayed’s half sister, Eman Abdelhadi, gave a “blessing” on the first anniversary of Oct. 7. It was posted on Instagram by the “Rabbis4Ceasefire” account. He also said El-Sayed's mother worked for an organization that gave money to Osama bin Laden.
9. Crowd chants for Charlie Kirk as Trump remembers: Trump also remembered Charlie Kirk who was assassinated last year on Sep 10. The crowd in the convention center broke out into chants of "Charlie, Charlie." "So, exactly one year ago tomorrow, a far-left extremist assassinated my great friend in conservative voice, Charlie Kirk, because Charlie Kirk spoke the truth," Trump said attempting to find Kirk's wife, Erika Kirk in the crowd. "What shocked millions of Americans was not only the fact that Charlie was murdered as bad as it was, but also how many people made an excuse for it or cheered for it. They were cheering," Trump said. “Some people, sick people, for a brief moment, the mask came off the radical left, and you saw what they were really all about.” He added that “now those same people are trying to get power over you in this election, and they are all voting Democrat.”
10. Notable Democrat presence: The most notable surprise appearance at the 2026 Republican midterm convention came from Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman. Fetterman made an unscheduled virtual appearance on Wednesday night via a 64-second pre-recorded video to cross party lines and endorse his Republican colleague from Pennsylvania, Senator Dave McCormick. Fetterman used the video to highlight the preservation of regional steel jobs, saying, “We’ll work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way of life, right here in the Steel Valley”