Trump, facing the midterms, tells voters to “pretend I’m on the ballot” in Hannity interview
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President Donald Trump used a Fox News appearance with Sean Hannity to push Republicans to vote as if he were personally on the ballot, warning that Democrats would roll back his agenda if they gained ground.
President Donald Trump called into Fox News host Sean Hannity on the day of the midterm elections, urging Republican voters to “pretend I’m on the ballot” and leaning hard on the familiar claim that his name alone juices turnout. He told listeners that when he is listed, “we get 50% more votes than when I’m not on the ballot,” and pressed voters to show up in order to stop Democrats from undoing his administration’s policies.
During the interview, Trump touted what he described as achievements of his second term, including the elimination of a tax on tips, and warned that a Republican loss would wipe out those gains. He also brought up his recent remarks at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, where he discussed the site’s renovation before pivoting back to the coming election.
“All of that is going to be wiped out. We have the hottest country anywhere in the world; they gotta get out. Pretend I’m on the ballot, do whatever you want, but you have to vote. If our people vote, we win in a landslide,” Trump said.
The appearance followed the Supreme Court’s rejection of the administration’s request to set aside thousands of ballots in California that the Justice Department had claimed might belong to non-citizens. California Governor Gavin Newsom welcomed the ruling, saying that “democracy won.”