President Donald Trump has pushed voters to pretend he’s on the ballot this election cycle and said Sunday he does not care if that makes Americans see this election as a litmus test of his presidency.
“Well, maybe,” Trump said when asked if voters should see this election as a referendum on his administration. “I don’t care.”
“Whatever it takes, because when I run, you know everybody does well,” Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One on his way back to the U.S. from Ireland. “When I don’t run, maybe they don’t go and vote because they don’t care.”
Trump tying his job performance to the midterms could spell trouble for Republicans as polls continue to show his approval rate at 33%, according to several Reuters/Ipsos surveys published last month that put his rating at the lowest point of his presidency.
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He said he sees the polling the other direction, telling reporters, “I have polls that show me I’m very popular. You know, you have a lot of fake polls, but they [voters] like me.”
The November elections will determine which party controls Congress for the next two years, and forecasters show Democratic momentum in House and Senate races.
Over the past few months, Trump has publicly urged Americans to think of him while casting their vote.
“So I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” Trump said Wednesday at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas. “Just one more time, because if we lose, you’re going to lose your border, you’re going to lose your tax cuts, you’re going to lose your safety and security, you’re going to lose your wealth. Our country is going through hell.”
He previewed the same pitch in campaigning for Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina on Friday: “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.”
Despite his low national approval rating, the president’s favor has appeared to carry weight this primary cycle, with all 25 of the candidates he endorsed in Senate bids winning their nominations. Trump frequently touts his high success rate, though some contenders he’s endorsed haven’t fared as well.
Trump is also trying out other controversial messaging tactics ahead of the midterms. At the convention in Dallas, he promised $5,000 checks to all adult American citizens if Republicans maintain control in Washington this November and called for his supporters to pledge to “cheat like hell” as he said Democrats plan to do.
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