In Dallas, Donald Trump addressed the Republican midterm convention with the theatrical confidence of a man who understands that politics, at its core, is a performance of power. Proposing to rename the Strait of Hormuz after himself and urging voters to treat November's elections as a referendum on his legacy, Trump reminded observers that his influence over the Republican Party does not require a ballot line — only a microphone and a willing crowd. The gathering revealed something enduring about this political moment: that identity, branding, and loyalty have become as structurally important