‘Pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot’: Trump's appeal to voters ahead of midterms

Trump also urged his supporters to carry that approach into other elections, making clear that his backing of Graham was part of a broader effort to strengthen Republican support. US President Donald Trump on Friday urged South Carolina Republicans to “pretend” he was on the ballot and turn out to vote for Darline Graham in Tuesday’s Senate runoff, using his own political popularity to rally support for the Republican political newcomer.Speaking at a campaign rally in Myrtle Beach, Trump said Republican candidates often struggle to attract the same turnout when he himself is not contesting an election, and urged his supporters to treat the Senate race as though his name appeared on the ballot.“The problem that we have is, they say that Trump does great when he’s on the ballot, but when he’s not on the ballot, his people don’t come and they don’t vote for senators, congressmen and other Republicans,” Trump said.“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,” he said.Trump also urged his supporters to carry that approach into other elections, making clear that his backing of Graham was part of a broader effort to st...