President Donald Trump alarmed onlookers by leading his followers at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas in a pledge to himself.
The 80-year-old president centered himself throughout the two-night event meant to goose GOP turnout for the November elections, and he commanded the audience Thursday night to make a pledge or risk literal hellfire.
“Please raise your right hand,” Trump told the crowd. “I pledge to the greatest president in the history of the United States that loves us so much he can’t even breathe, that I will go out with my family, my friends. I don’t care if I’m registered or not. I’m going to try and cheat like hell like they do. There’s never been bigger cheaters."
"I don’t care,” he continued. “I am going to go out and I am going to get my friends, my family, and we are going to vote on Nov. 3 or we are going to vote before that. Okay, so help me God."
The display provoked strong reactions from critics.
"Donald Trump just replaced the Pledge of Allegiance with a pledge of allegiance to himself," warned California Gov. Gavin Newsom. "This November, the choice is yours on the ballot: America or Trump."
"What are we even doing anymore? This is just beyond parody," marveled 2024 Libertarian presidential nominee Chase Oliver.
"Nah they can’t beat the cult allegations after this one," grimaced online influencer Jared Shult.
"A cult of sheep led by a deranged wannabe authoritarian," agreed Barbara Comstock, a former GOP Virginia delegate. "If he had brought the poisoned Kool Aid they would drink it."
"Not sure how many times we have to quote George W. Bush about how 'that was some weird s---,'" winced The Atlantic's Tom Nichols.
"Disinhibition is a common symptom of many degenerative cognitive diseases," pointed out the Toronto Star's Bruce Arthur.
"I know this may come as a shock, but the president is crazier than a s---house rat," noted author Ryan Busse.
"Good god, this is so strange and embarrassing," sighed journalist Brad Polumbo.
"Barack Obama once made a reference to eating arugula and it was a right wing media scandal for months," recalled journalist Mike Rothschild. "That was in my lifetime."
"The President of the United States openly calling for his supporters to commit election fraud," observed comic book writer David Pepose. "Can you *imagine* the outrage if a Democrat ever made a 'joke' like this?"