President Donald Trump's push to pull the Republican Party into his "happy place" at this week's GOP convention in Dallas, Texas, is a further sign that he does not see the potential midterm wave heading toward his party, according to a new analysis.

Veteran journalist Dan Rather argued in an essay for his Substack newsletter, "Ready", that the gathering in Dallas could spell disaster for Republicans in the midterms. Rather than knocking on doors to court new voters, he noted, Republicans will spend their time in a convention center appeasing Trump, even as polls show the party is likely to face steep losses in November.

"Organizers are hoping to raise money and energize the base," Rather wrote. "This way, Trump will be surrounded by his mega-fans, his happy place. But eight weeks before the midterm elections, the base should not be the concern. Forty-four percent of Americans now identify as independents, according to Gallup. They will be a huge factor in November. Ignore them at your peril."

That strategy, Rather continued, is not without risk.

"Trump and his Republican sycophants will be preaching to the choir in Dallas, when they could be reaching out to undecided voters and working to keep control of Congress by helping members who are fighting for their political lives," he wrote. "But he can't get out of his own way."

Rather also pointed to recent predictions suggesting Republicans could lose as many as 35 House seats and five Senate seats in the upcoming elections.