Frisco straddles Collin and Denton counties, and the local Republican parties in those jurisdictions handled ticket sales for the recent Dallas convention differently. The Denton County GOP advertised packages ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, telling members, citing the RNC, that it was "a ticketed fundraiser and rally, not a traditional national convention." In Collin County, longtime precinct chair Tim Bates told The Dallas Morning News he would not pay $5,000 to get in.
Instead, he shared a state party email offering complimentary tickets to other precinct chairs, though those passes did not guarantee entry if the venue reached capacity. Dallas is about 25 miles south of Frisco.
President Trump spoke on both nights at the American Airlines Center and closed the event Thursday after Vice President JD Vance's keynote. On the first night he proposed a $5,000 payment to every adult citizen if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress. Democratic members of Congress, gathered across the street from the arena on Thursday, called the proposal an "empty promise."
Trump also campaigned for Attorney General Ken Paxton, calling him the greatest attorney general in America while joking about his appearance. Paxton attacked his Democratic opponent, James Talarico, during his speech.
The Dallas Host Committee, a private nonprofit, said it raised $45 million in private donations in less than a month. Organizers expected 20,000 attendees for the event, which ran from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. each day. Security costs approached $2 million, and more than 100 protesters marched near the arena on Thursday. Two individuals were arrested during the demonstrations, according to Dallas police.
