Trump’s plea – ‘pretend I’m on the ballot’ – deserves to backfire

Donald Trump has been telling crowds at his midterm campaign stops to act as though his name were on the ballot, a pitch columnist Margaret Sullivan argues is likelier to hurt Republicans than help them. At a Kansas rally backing Senator Roger Marshall and gubernatorial challenger Ty Masterson, he made the request directly, while trying to head off Democratic gains in Congress, according to The Guardian.

Sullivan points to sagging approval ratings, expensive groceries, and fuel costs she says exceed those of any point under Joe Biden. PolitiFact disputed Trump's claim to a North Carolina crowd that he had pushed gasoline prices to multi-year lows, finding the average price per gallon rose from $3.23 to $4.61 between his return to office and late September. The Independent described his rallies as rambling, and the Guardian's Adam Gabbatt documented his odd commentary on men's physiques, including remarks about Senator Jon Husted.

Sullivan also lists self-dealing, the war, attacks on allies such as Canada, and his apparent plan to call the election rigged as liabilities. Barack Obama, campaigning in Ohio, called the midterms a chance to rein in the administration. Sullivan concludes that voters will probably see the Trump link as a reason to reject him.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →