Donald Trump is so worried about the midterms that he’s asking his MAGA followers to pretend he’s actually on the ballot.
That may be a risky request.
In a clip of an interview with Fox News host Trey Gowdy, Trump presented himself as the secret ingredient Republicans need to survive what could be a difficult election.
“There’s a theory that … when Trump’s on the ballot, they win,” Trump said. “When he’s not on the ballot, the people don’t go to vote.”
Then came the unusual plea: “I’m asking the people to get out and vote. Pretend I’m on the ballot.”
Trump wants Republicans to treat the midterms as another referendum on him. And that could be exactly what Democrats want.
Trump has increasingly tied his political fortunes to the Republican Party’s performance, even as his popularity has taken a hit.
His prolonged war with Iran, escalating trade fight with Canada and dismissal of Americans’ concerns about high prices have all become political liabilities.
And Democrats are hoping to capitalize.
Progressive candidates have energized parts of the Democratic base, while the party is targeting Republican control of the House and potentially the Senate.
Trump, meanwhile, is warning his own supporters that the consequences of staying home could be disastrous.
“If they go out and vote, we’re gonna win,” Trump said in the preview. “And if we don’t, our country is gonna be in sad shape because we’re gonna go through a lot of things.”
That’s a remarkably stark message from a president whose party is trying to defend its congressional majorities.
But Trump took it even further at a recent rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Rather than simply telling voters that Republicans need their support, he warned them about what could happen to him personally.
“I’m going to be impeached. They’re going to impeach me,” Trump told the crowd.
And that’s where the strategy could backfire. Trump appears to be betting that his supporters will hear “pretend I’m on the ballot” and turn out in force to protect his agenda.
But there is another way voters could interpret it.
If Trump is telling Americans that the midterms are effectively about him, Democrats can make the same argument, and urge voters who oppose Trump to show up specifically to send him a message.
That could turn the election into exactly the kind of referendum Trump may not want.
And Trump’s own rhetoric is helping make that case.
He’s not asking voters merely to support their local congressional candidate. He’s asking them to pretend he’s on the ballot.
If voters take him literally, they may do exactly that. The question is whether they show up to vote for Trump, or against him.
