Trump urges voters to "pretend I'm on the ballot" during Hannity interview

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 emphasizing that his presence on a ticket historically boosts vote totals. He told listeners that when he is listed, "we get 50% more votes than when I'm not on the ballot," and asked voters to turn out to prevent Democrats from undoing his administration's policies.

During the interview, Trump highlighted what he described as achievements of his second term, including the elimination of a tax on tips, and warned that a Republican loss would erase those gains. He also referenced his recent remarks at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, where he discussed the site’s renovation before turning to the upcoming 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 came after the Supreme Court rejected 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 praised the decision, stating that "democracy won."