President Donald Trump is once again calling on Americans to treat November’s midterm elections as though his own name appears on the ballot, urging Republican voters to turn out with control of Congress at stake.
“I see it all the time, that when Trump’s on the ballot, they win,” Trump told Fox News host Trey Gowdy on Wednesday. “When he’s out of the ballot, the people don’t go to vote, and I’m asking the people … to get out and vote. Pretend I’m on the ballot.”
Trump’s full interview with Gowdy is scheduled to air this weekend on “Sunday Night in America.” His remarks come as Republicans intensify their efforts to mobilize supporters with fewer than 10 weeks remaining before the midterm elections.
The president delivered a similar message last week while campaigning for Republican South Carolina Sen. Darline Graham.
Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, narrowly defeated Rep. Ralph Norman in Tuesday’s Republican Senate primary runoff despite receiving Trump’s endorsement.
“What I want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot,” Trump told supporters at the rally. He also warned that Democrats would attempt to impeach him if they regained control of Congress.
Trump is expected to continue making that argument when he attends both days of the Republican Party’s upcoming midterm convention in Dallas next month.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at a Thursday campaign event in Sinton, Texas, that Trump would look directly into the camera during the convention and tell voters he is “on the ballot.”
“Because even though his name isn’t … his administration, his legacy, the America First agenda is,” Johnson said. “We got to get people to turn out.”
Fox News host Sean Hannity made a similar argument during his Wednesday broadcast, telling viewers that Trump is effectively on the ballot because the election’s outcome will determine whether Republicans can continue advancing their policies.
“If we don’t get Republicans in the House and Senate, all progress in this country will come to a screeching halt,” Hannity said.
Hannity also warned that if Democrats win a congressional majority, impeaching Trump and other Republican officials would become a “top agenda item.”
Republican concerns have increased following a series of unfavorable public polls amid the Iran war and continuing cost-of-living problems.
Trump held a net approval rating of negative 19.5 percentage points in a Thursday update from Silver Bulletin’s polling tracker.
Decision Desk HQ currently gives Democrats a 67% chance of retaking control of the House in November. Its forecast also places the likelihood of Republicans maintaining their Senate majority at 52%, leaving the GOP facing a closely contested fight to preserve its power in Congress.
