Trump LOSES IT over midterm convention attendance

Brian Tyler Cohen (0:01)

Trump does not react well when confronted about poor attendance at his midterm convention, and I'm joined by the future governor of California, Xavier Becerra, and Pod Save America's Tommy Vietor. I'm Brian Tyler Cohen, and you're listening to No Lie.

So Trump was asked about Republicans bailing on his big midterm convention. Here's how that went.

SPEAKER_2 (0:20)

Mr. President, several Republicans in competitive races are not coming to the convention. Do you understand why they're deciding not to come?

Donald Trump (0:28)

Everybody is coming to the convention. Everybody wants to come, but we only want to. And the people that are coming... By the way, we're going to be sold out tonight, just so you understand. Who are you with?

SPEAKER_2 (0:38)

ABC News, sir.

Donald Trump (0:39)

ABC Fake News. What are the worst? You are the worst of all, in my opinion.

The reason that some people are not coming is because we don't have room for 500 politicians. We have room for the ones that have a close race if they're slightly behind or slightly ahead or tied. But we don't have room for people that are 35 points up and don't need to be there. We said stay back and campaign. Every politician that we've wanted to be there is there.

Brian Tyler Cohen (1:06)

Seems like somebody struck a nerve. That's right. Everybody Trump wanted at this convention is going to be there and not a person extra because there's simply no room, as was evidenced by all of those videos with tons of empty seats. But anyway, back on Earth One, here is the reality. Political reported on this turns out that out of the 70 Republican candidates and sitting members who were specifically asked about attending, 45 either said no outright or that they were considering, which translated from political speak means no. AP covered this as well. By their count, more than 100 House Republicans were not expected to make the trip, with only about 100 planning to actually attend the full conference. Not great when attendance at rallies is kind of your thing. As for the reasons, first, there is the price tag. Attendees were asked for a donation of $25,000 just for the privilege of walking in the door. Look, these aren't fundraising juggernauts. A lot of these Republican candidates have to scrape for every single dollar. Trump, meanwhile, has half a billion dollars sitting in his account, and yet these candidates are expected to pay 25 grand while Trump hoards his cash, which sounds about right.

Second, and more importantly, there is the electoral aspect of things. A lot of these Republicans are sitting in competitive districts, thanks to Trump, heading into a brutal midterm environment, and spending two days in Dallas at a Trump love fest means two days not knocking on doors, not doing local press, not doing the work to actually win tight races. When you are fighting for your political life in a swing district, a convention floor in Dallas is not where the votes are.

But the biggest reason is that this convention was always going to be a Trump worship fest and Trump is dragging down anybody standing right next to him. Donald Trump's own RNC is not going to put on an event where it's anything other than that. So, anybody who goes is basically telling their voters, signaling to their voters, this is where my allegiance lies. I am in Dallas, genuflecting at the altar of Trump instead of talking to you. You don't show up at Trump fest and then get to show up in your district and try to distance yourself from that very guy. You don't get to have it both ways. But of course, Trump doesn't care about any of that because it's not about anybody else. This is about him. And if you dare question him about who's not attending, then he'll lash out because at the end of the day, this is all about his ego. I mean, the guy went nuclear on an ABC News reporter for daring question him about that objective fact that Republicans aren't showing up to the convention, which only further proves my point, that this guy's ego is so overbearing, the same way he can't handle that question, he also can't handle the prospect of anybody in his party not directly linking themselves back to him seven weeks before midterms. He may be an anchor around all their necks, but he is going to make damn sure they all feel the weight of it.

Next up are my interviews with Xavier Becerra and Tommy Vietor.

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