Gay-Hating Trump Obsesses Over Men’s Bodies and Physical Looks
Critics say the president keeps returning to candidates' appearance and physique at campaign events in Georgia and Ohio.
President Donald Trump has increasingly made comments about candidates’ bodies, appearance and masculinity during campaign rallies, prompting criticism as he works to energise Republican voters ahead of the 3 November midterm elections.
At a rally at Dalton Municipal Airport in northwest Georgia on Friday, October 16, Trump repeatedly called Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff “Pee-wee Herman” and mocked him for wearing makeup at public appearances. Trump acknowledged that he also wears makeup but described his own as “light” compared with the senator’s.
According to remarks reported from the rally, Trump said he did not think Ossoff was a good-looking man, while describing Republican challenger Representative Mike Collins as “a good-looking man” and “all man.” He added, “I’m not so sure about Ossoff,” and called the senator weak, arrogant, hate-filled and “highly overrated.” Joking about his own cosmetics, Trump said that without makeup “you look a little bit like a dead person.”
Trump told the crowd to “pretend I’m on the ballot.” The rally was the first time Collins and Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson appeared at the same venue this fall. Trump endorsed Collins days before his June runoff victory over former football coach Derek Dooley.
Ossoff, 39, is seeking reelection in a state where Senate control could help determine the balance of Congress. He said he was surprised Georgia Republicans wanted the president in the state, arguing that the visit would remind voters of policies that, in his words, pushed the cost of groceries, fuel and healthcare to record highs. Several polls show Ossoff ahead of Collins by 8 to 10 percentage points. Early voting is underway in Georgia, and Vice President J.D. Vance campaigned in Atlanta earlier in the week.
Four days before the Dalton rally, Trump spoke in Youngstown, Ohio, on Monday, October 12, in support of Republican Senator Jon Husted, who faces former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown in a competitive race. He also urged supporters to back Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for governor.
Trump told the crowd he had “started examining” Husted’s body after learning that the senator was an all-American defensive back at the University of Dayton. “I don’t do this with men very often,” he said. “I looked, and I watched up and down. I looked at his ass, and I looked at the whole, and then I looked at his hands. Look at his hands. He’s got these, like, claws. And I got it. You are a great athlete.”
Trump said former National Football League coach Jon Gruden had told him about Husted’s football career. About 40 minutes later, he singled out Husted for praise. According to reported remarks, Trump also said Brown “was not an athlete” and “can’t tie his shoes.”
The comments prompted criticism and mockery from political commentators, including on MSNBC program “Morning Joe” the following day. Online reaction was mixed. Some Ohio Republicans declined to engage directly with the president’s language, and Husted’s campaign did not treat the comments as a controversy, instead using the rally to highlight Trump’s endorsement.
Trump has commented on Ossoff’s appearance since the summer. On July 4, he posted images on Truth Social comparing the senator with the fictional character Pee-wee Herman, calling the character “the Late, Great” in a reference to the actor Paul Reubens, who played him and has died. In the same post, Trump compared Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico with Alfred E. Neuman, the MAD Magazine mascot.
On July 22, at a rally in Marietta, Georgia, Trump said Ossoff “reminds me of Pinky Herman” before correcting himself to “Pee-wee Herman.” The slip drew jokes from late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. On August 17, Trump again described Ossoff as a “Pee-Wee Herman look-alike” when reporters asked about the senator’s comments on the president’s travel with his assistant Natalie Harp and the White House ballroom project.
Supporters view the remarks as part of Trump’s combative campaign style. Critics say they normalize discriminatory attitudes and distract from policy issues, and rights advocates, including Muslim and civil rights groups, have criticized the president’s rhetoric toward immigrants and ethnic and religious minorities during the campaign.
