Today’s notice: Everything that happened in Dallas last night — including a brief chat with the protesters. 9/11 and Congress. A new lobbying effort on college sports. What it’s like to run for office as a Republican in D.C. And: Inside the drive to open federal lands to data centers.
THE LATEST
Turn the corner, and stomp on the gas. That was the plan for Republicans at their unorthodox midterm convention this week. How did they do? On night one, Donald Trump tried to deflate his economic problems with an unlikely promise to shower $5,000 checks across the land. That was the attempt to turn the corner from a hard, rough summer for the party in power.
Last night, JD Vance took to the podium to stomp on the gas and gather momentum for the Trumpian version of the stakes. His address was heavy on social issues — Democrats are “the party of the crazies” or “the party of hatred” and should “stay the hell away from our kids,” he said — and was a lot of 2024 rewind. Joe Biden was mentioned often.
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But there was one moment of focus on the politics of now: In a remarkable section of the speech honoring Vance’s friend Charlie Kirk, assassinated a year ago yesterday, the vice president acknowledged that some of the younger voters brought into Republican politics by Kirk are strongly opposed to some of the major policy moves of Trump 2.0. He reminded us, Kirk “hated war.”
But he suggested skittish voters with the same POV should think of the alternative and stay in the car with the GOP, Iran war and all. “Do not throw the baby out with the bathwater,” Vance warned. “Don’t give the country over to a bunch of crazy people because you happen to disagree with us on a policy issue or two.”
Trump then took the stage and made the election about him, again. “You got to pretend I’m the ticket,” he said. “You got to do me a big — the biggest favor you’ve ever done me. You’ve got to do this for me. You’ve got to pretend I’m on the ticket. I’m on the ticket. I’m on the ticket.” (That sound you hear is Democratic strategists pumping their fists in unison.)
About those protesters: Vance’s speech was interrupted at one point by a man waving a Mexican flag. “Well, my friend, if you love Mexico so much, get your ass over there. I’ll buy you the plane ticket,” Vance said.
The Sun’s Jasmine Wright caught up with a couple of protesters pulled from the hall. One whom she filmed being frog-marched out said he was there as part of the “resistance.” Another said getting in the secured, ticketed hall was easy: She told Jasmine she just walked up to the spot where delegates boarded buses and was given a ticket. Some Republicans paid $5,000+ for that honor.
What comes after Dallas? All the corner-turning and gas pedal-stomping is MAGA Inc.’s problem now. Trump’s political operation and its staggering war chest now are charged with turning the fall kickoff in Dallas into political results with massive ad buys across the country. Jasmine has a detailed look at that effort. “This week was a big preview,” one source told her.
More: Joseph diGenova Ends His Role Overseeing Florida-Based Investigation Into Trump Foes • DOJ Directs States to Preserve 2024 Election Records As It Seeks Their Voter Data • Pennsylvania Democrats Pile on Fetterman While Senators Stay Silent
Open tabs:
- RFK Jr. uses military aircraft as he campaigns for GOP in midterms (WaPo)
- Bessent fails to shock and awe the bond market (Axios)
- Iran Is Producing Ballistic Missiles Again (WSJ)
- GOP to keep Iowa first in 2028 primary and caucus calendar (KTTC)
FROM THE HILL
Twenty-five years later, the anniversary of 9/11 will go largely overlooked at the Capitol, The Sun’s Paul Kane writes. The House held a moment of silence on Sept. 3, but it’s out of session today, as is the Senate. A particularly nasty midterm is underway. Fewer than 10% of lawmakers who were at the Capitol a quarter century ago are still serving — memories of the bipartisan singing of “God Bless America” on the Capitol steps have faded.
Former Rep. Jane Harman (D-California), who was there on 9/11, is leading a small group of former members who will meet on the Capitol steps to honor the moment. “We were a different country then. Our country has changed,” she told Paul.
Oh, you wanna play ball? With the Senate back next week, and college football season in full swing, The Sun’s Jesse Dougherty takes us inside the renewed lobbying against the Protect College Sports Act. Those pushing the bill have their heavy-hitters, and now the other side is bringing in their own: the former heads of the NFL and NBA players associations. Lawyers and labor advocates who Jesse talked to said they believe athletes should be involved in the negotiations for a college sports bill, and that the athletes should have the power to organize.
“The rights conferred in this legislation are a de facto prohibition against organizing,” Michele A. Roberts, who ran the NBA players group, told Jesse. “All the rules and regulations and powers stay with the NCAA.”
THE BIG ONE
Coming to federal lands near you? The Bureau of Land Management has asked its state directors to identify public land ripe for data center development, The Sun’s Eric Katz and Mara Hoplamazian report.
The plan — executed by a BLM shrunken by DOGE but refocused on this goal — is to make good on a Trump executive order issued last year to accelerate permitting for data centers, including by identifying federal lands that could accommodate them.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum held meetings with dozens of technology and energy executives last year, according to a review of his calendar by the Sun.
The problem: BLM lands are typically remote and not near basics like electricity and water.
PERSPECTIVES
At the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Dana Milbank witnessed Trump’s land of make believe unravel.
NEW ON THE WASHINGTON SUN
The lonely path: The District hasn’t elected a Republican to local office for almost two decades, and Trump barely clawed 6% of the votes in 2024. So what’s it like running in one of the bluest of blue spots in the country? The Sun’s Martin Austermuhle tagged along with one GOP candidate, Manuel Rivera, who is vying in a clearly long-shot-if-there-ever-was-one race for attorney general.
“Washington, D.C., is a one-party system,” Rivera told Martin. “I believe democracy works best when voters have a real choice. Somebody must be willing to challenge that status quo.” The seven Republicans running this fall are animated by one issue that resonates with D.C. voters of all stripes: public safety.
More: San Francisco Mayor Declares AI-driven Housing Shortage a ‘Rent Emergency’ • Trump Moves the Medal of Honor Monument Forward While Veering Back Into His Usual Hits • DHS Deletes AI Immigration Post After Backlash
NOT US
- Why so many incumbents lost primaries this year, by Lisa Kashinsky and Aaron Pellish for Politico
- Ex-DOGE aide Katie Miller attacked OpenAI while invested in rival xAI, by Cat Zakrzewski and Aaron Schaffer for The Washington Post
- Behind the Scenes, Vance Gathered Unvarnished Views of the Iran War, by Jonathan Swan, Adam Entous and Maggie Haberman for The New York Times
BE SOCIAL
Open Seats
Trump said during his closing speech that the arena is “packed”
— Oriana González (@ReporterOriana) September 11, 2026
But even his supporters are noticing that that’s not true
“He’s saying this place is packed and I’m seeing lots of empty seats,” one attendee says as they leave the convention https://t.co/1uIRiJxMrh
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The newsletter was produced by Thomas Burr and Erik Schutz. Photo by Alex Brandon/AP.
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