Trump tries new midterm message to supporters: ‘Pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot’ - NBC News
President Donald Trump is urging his supporters to treat midterm elections as if he were on the ballot to boost turnout for his endorsed candidates. This strategy follows a series of losses for Trump-backed candidates in recent primary elections.
Why it matters
The strategy highlights Trump's ongoing influence over the Republican party and his attempt to maintain voter engagement in elections where he is not personally running.
President Donald Trump wants his supporters to think beyond his endorsed candidates and imagine that he is on the ballot when they vote in this year’s midterm elections. The president made his new pitch Friday night in South Carolina at a rally in support of Sen. Darline Graham, urging the crowd to back her in Tuesday’s Senate GOP runoff. “The problem that we have is, they say that Trump does great when he’s on the ballot, but when he’s not on the ballot, his people don’t come and they don’t vote for senators, congressmen and other Republicans,” Trump said. “So what I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot. Just come and vote. It’s so important,” he said.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in