Overview
- At the GOP midterm convention in Dallas, President Trump led attendees in a new pledge that included the line “I’m gonna try and cheat like hell like they do.”
- Reporters and observers noted empty seats and staged audience gestures even as Trump described the arena as full, creating questions about the event’s optics.
- On Friday, Bill Maher opened HBO’s Real Time by reading the pledge aloud and mocking the moment, saying he had “nothing anymore” and highlighting the wording that mentions cheating.
- Maher also pointed to the convention’s limited reach, noting its viewership trailed regular cable opinion shows and competed with football for viewers.
- Coverage has placed the episode in the context of weak Republican polling with the midterms weeks away and suggested the pledge could influence voter perceptions and party messaging.