President Trump traveled to Grand Island, Nebraska, on Monday evening to rally voters behind incumbent Sen. Pete Ricketts, who's facing a tougher than expected reelection battle against "independent" Dan Osborn. With less than a month remaining in the midterm election cycle, the president has dedicated large portions of his calendar to helping Republicans retain control of the House and Senate.

Speaking at the Pinnacle Bank Expo Center, Trump urged the rally goers to turn out for Republican candidates even though his own name won't be on the ballot. “Pretend I’m on the ballot,” he told the crowd, warning that Republicans have historically faced a voter problem when he's not atop the ticket. 

The stakes, noted the president, are high. "They’ve tried to smear us, to slander us, to persecute us, and demoralize us," Trump told the capacity crowd. "They’ve attacked me, impeached me, arrested me. They even tried to kill me, I guess. But with you at side, we have won every battle. We've run every single battle – they can't believe it."

The president also hit the issue that seems to be galvanizing the midterms: the economy. He pointed to the "soar[ing]" stock market, high employment numbers, and the effectiveness of his tariff policies as signs that the affordability issue is being addressed by Republicans.

.@POTUS: Under Republican leadership, incomes for hardworking Americans have soared to the highest level ever recorded. More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country. The poverty rate just reached its lowest level ever. The stock market has soared to 81 all-time record highs. And under my strong tariff policy, exports have soared to the highest level in American history.

Then he turned his attention toward Rickett's opponent. As RedState has previously reported, Osborn is anything but an independent candidate, but uses that moniker in order to distract voters from the fact that Democrat donors are filling his campaign coffers and his policies align closely with the Democrat Party. Ricketts has taken to calling Osborn "Democrat Dan."

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Trump called Osborn a "fake independent” and accused him of hiding his true political leanings in order to win over Nebraska voters. “Right here in Nebraska, the Democrats are running radical left, lunatic — he’s a lunatic — named Dan Osborn, a fake independent,” the president said. “A fake independent who will say anything to get elected.”

And, just in case anyone at the rally missed the point, Ricketts supporters drove it home by handing out “I’m Billy Bob” signs – a reference to Osborn’s leaked remarks mocking Trump voters. In other words, Republicans aren’t buying Osborn's “independent” schtick, and Trump made it quite clear Monday night that Nebraska voters shouldn't, either.