Trump robocalls to target voters in Nevada, other key states

With just days before Election Day, a pair of robocalls featuring President Donald Trump will be going out to voters in Nevada and other key states in an effort to bolster the chances of Republicans locked in tight contests.

The calls are going out to what the Republican National Committee describes as “targeted voters” in Nevada, where incumbent Republican Sen. Dean Heller faces a tough re-election bid against Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen, and where two swing congressional seats and the governor’s mansion are up for grabs.

The Trump robocalls also are going out to voters in Wisconsin, Florida, Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, California, Missouri, Montana and Iowa, according to Keelie Broom, spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee’s Nevada operation.

One call is aimed at pushing people to early vote, while the other encourages voters to get their mail-in ballots submitted in time.

In the latter call, Trump repeats many of his usual campaign trail attacks on Democrats, including saying that his rival party is “okay with crime,” according to a transcript of the call.

“They’re okay with crime. They’re okay with open borders. They’re okay with a military that’s not properly funded or not taking care of our vets,” Trump says in the call.

Helen Kalla, a spokeswoman for the Nevada State Democratic Party, called Trump’s comments in the robocall “outrageous lies.”

“Voters aren’t going to fall for the outrageous lies that Trump is pushing to try and save Nevada Republicans. Let’s not forget that Republicans asked Trump to stay away from Nevada in the final days of the campaign because they know his unhinged message isn’t resonating with Nevadans,” Kalla said in a statement. She was referring to a report from CNN that said that GOP officials had asked Trump to avoid Nevada and Arizona in the final days before Election Day.

Trump held a rally in Elko on Oct. 20, the first day of early voting in Nevada.

“Democrats will continue to get out the vote these last four days by focusing on issues Nevada families care about, like protecting access to health care, improving our public schools, and bringing more good-paying jobs to the state,” Kalla added.

The full transcript of both calls can be read below:

Early voting call:

President Trump: “Hello, this is President Donald Trump calling from the Republican National Committee. Early voting has already begun and I need to you get out there and vote today. Vote Republican. We need those votes to make America great again.”

Mail-in ballot call:

President Trump: “Hello, this is President Donald Trump calling from the Republican National Committee. You were there for me in 2016 when we won our historic victory. Now I need your help again. I need you to return your vote by mail ballot today. Don’t let the Democrats stop all of the progress we’ve made. They’re okay with crime. They’re okay with open borders. They’re okay with a military that’s not properly funded or not taking care of our vets. We need Republican votes. Vote Republican and return your vote by mail ballot today so we can keep making America great. Thank you.”

Final push

The Republican National Committee says that it has made 2 million voter contacts in Nevada and 70 million nationwide. The presidential robocalls are the final push for the RNC in Nevada after what it says has been its largest national mobilization ever.

Meanwhile, the state Democratic Party said they have sent out more than 1 million texts to voters and knocked on nearly 700,000 doors since Oct. 13.

With the increased efforts from both sides, Nevada saw record-setting voter registration numbers ahead of the midterm elections, surpassing the number of voters registered in even presidential election years.

Election Day is Tuesday.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3820. Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter.