News Focus
- Republican Party convention held at Houston’s main convention centre during World Cup preparations
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott delivers hard-line speech to 5,000 party delegates
- Live elephant named Paige interrupts proceedings after joining the political gathering
- Delegates show minimal interest in football despite city’s role as 2026 host venue
- Attendees raise concerns about public money supporting the international tournament
HOUSTON — Governor Greg Abbott has finished addressing thousands of conservative activists. He attacked radical Democrats and warned against liberal policies from Austin. The crowd of 5,000 delegates cheered loudly. They want Texas to remain America’s most conservative state.
But another event competed for attention. A real elephant named Paige walked through the George R. Brown Convention Centre. The animal wore a white cloak with the words “Unity drives victory”. The elephant stopped halfway up the main aisle. Unfortunately, Paige needed the toilet. This created a problem for the organisers.
Houston will host matches during the 2026 World Cup. However, most delegates at this political gathering do not care about football. “You won’t find football fans here,” said one woman from Dallas. She wore a sequined dress with stars and stripes. “I don’t mind it, but I’m not interested.”
The next morning, delegates returned to the venue. They walked past young children wearing T-shirts about abortion laws. The children handed out flyers. Inside the hall, party members worked on their platform for the next elections. Texas has voted Republican for over 30 years. But the party has faced internal fights recently.
Michael travelled six hours from Abilene to attend. He stepped outside during a heated debate about abortion policy. “It is getting contentious in there,” he said. He knows little about the World Cup. He saw that the USA beat Paraguay 4-1. But he worries about the cost to taxpayers.
“There is lots of money in football,” Michael said. “They should pay their own way. We should not pay for this.” He wore a cap supporting Donald Trump. He laughed when asked about the former president’s interest in the tournament. “He is a showman,” Michael said. “That is just what he does.”
Not everyone feels negative. Ray came from Corpus Christi. He thinks the World Cup is “awesome”. He wanted to buy tickets. But the price shocked him. “They wanted $1,100 for one ticket,” he said. “How often do you get the whole world together?”
Ray supports Trump’s military actions against foreign enemies. He says they were needed for global security. He worries about fuel prices if the war continues. However, he does not mind that Iran will play matches in America. “We cannot shut down the world,” he said. “Football helps us keep good relations with other countries.”
Jacovia is one of the few Black delegates at the convention. He watches Houston Dynamo matches with friends. “I enjoy the sport but I don’t really understand the rules,” he admitted. He rejects claims that America has closed its doors to foreigners. “Most people are welcoming,” he said.
Steve believes football is growing in Texas. But at this Republican convention, that growth moves slowly. It moves at an elephant’s pace.