Two protesters were arrested outside the Republican National Committee's midterm convention in Dallas on Thursday, after a large demonstration by self-described socialist "Never Trumpers" turned tense as police, some in riot gear, confronted the crowd just blocks from where President Trump was due to give his closing speech. The protest occurred amid heightened sensitivity around political violence, coinciding with the first anniversary of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and highlights the febrile atmosphere surrounding the convention.

Dallas police said the pair were arrested for assaulting a counter-protester and obstructing a road, with names and charges to follow booking. Organiser Rick Majumdar, of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, said the march involved around 16 allied groups opposing Trump's agenda, and claimed those arrested had been trying to steer people away from "rioting provocateurs" rather than causing trouble themselves; he said the clash happened near the convention's "closest entry point". In a follow-up statement, Majumdar's organisation said the march targeted a "near empty" convention and framed it as a stand against the "billionaire class" it says backs the Republican Party.