Sports are an important part of American culture. But there’s one unwritten rule that many follow: You never schedule anything against the nation’s favorite pastime – the NFL. If you do, the low attendance rate would be your own fault. But for President Donald Trump, despite the game being close to his heart, that tradition is not a hurdle.

In June this year, ahead of the November elections, he announced a first-of-its-kind political gathering on September 9 and 10: the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas. What he didn’t consider was that the NFL had already announced its 2026 regular-season opener set for September 9 in May. But not only did the POTUS dare to go against it, but after he slammed the Democrats, he also teased the league for something it prides itself on.

“The Republican Midterm Convention last night, in Dallas, was a major, sold out hit, far bigger, better, and more important than anyone thought possible,” shared Trump on Truth Social. “It was really something, streaming all over the place, and really big numbers, despite going up against the NFL.

“The overall numbers beat the NFL. The Arena, which was really nice, beat its own attendance records. The place was packed! There were thousands of people outside who couldn’t get in.”

The political event was held at American Airlines Center, an 840,000 sq ft multi-purpose indoor arena located in the Victory Park neighborhood, which is the home for the NHL’s Dallas Stars and the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. A party source reported four days ago that they were expecting at least 100 Congressmen to join and had distributed at least 20,000 tickets already. Considering the Center has a 21,000 capacity, it was expected to be a full house. But having a full house seldom means breaking the NFL’s record.

The NFL has regularly boasted of capturing the highest attendance and viewership ever since it started recording it in 1988. And it won’t be bragging, considering it averaged 18.7 million viewers per game last regular season. On its way out, Super Bowl LX drew in 125.6 million viewers, as the Seattle Seahawks won over the New England Patriots in front of a 70,832-strong Levi’s Stadium in LA. That much was expected with the NFL’s 2026 regular season opening just the way it ended: with a bang and a thriller.

Safe to say, no matter which team you were supporting, New England at the Seahawks was an emotional rollercoaster ride that kept you on the edge of your seat until the very last drive. Speaking of seats, the game at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington, had 68,744 attendees — yet another full house for the 68,740-capacity stadium. You can do the basic math after that…

Now, the President did not just mention physical presence as the event got streamed online, like the NFL. But there, too, lies a gap in the data available. 

The NFL has not yet released official ratings for the season opener, making the president’s comparison impossible to independently verify. Viewership for the Dallas convention is also difficult to assess because only a few major television networks broadcast it, with much of the audience tuning in through digital livestreams from outlets including the Associated Press and The Blaze.

But what’s interesting is that there is already controversy over who is attending the Republican midterm convention.

White House correspondent shares her view from the Republican Midterm Convention after many Republicans reportedly skip it

According to the official NRCC memo, the event was closed to media. But Reuters White House correspondent Nandita Bose posted about the view from her seat. 

“Trump keeps talking about the arena being full and obsessing over capacity,” she wrote. “It isn’t. The upper decks are empty, large stretches of the side sections remain sparsely filled, and even with Trump onstage the arena is clearly not at capacity.”

Turns out that Trump lost more attendees after his speech extended beyond the initial 45-minute duration plan. And that became yet another excuse for many to leave.

“As President Trump passes the 90-minute mark of his speech and insists nobody has left the arena, it’s clear that lots of folks have left the arena,” posted Garrett Haake of NBC News. 

Even more surprising was the fact that many Republican members did not even wish to attend it.

CNN reported a day ago that “a handful of House members facing tough reelection campaigns are skipping the convention, including Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27), Tom Barrett (MI-07), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Rep. Zach Nunn (IA-03), and David Valadao (CA-22). Rep. Tom Tiffany, the GOP nominee for Wisconsin governor, won’t attend either.”

Now, while a $25,000 tag per ticket asked of House Lawmakers by the National Republican Congressional Committee was still lower than what past conventions have cost, one GOP source believed it was the reason for the lower turnout.

“I do think it had an impact on member attendance for sure,” the GOP source said. “Obviously there are some members who are in tighter races who feel it’s probably more beneficial to be on the campaign trail.”

Many excused themselves using events, weddings, functions, and other such reasons.

For Trump, however, the event was a success, and he hopes to close it out tonight before the guests fly out tomorrow. This time, however, he won’t be able to make a comparison with the NFL’s first regular-season game in Melbourne, Australia, where the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell even sported a Kangaroo overall as the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Los Angeles Rams in a lopsided but shocking game.