Donald Trump spent part of his Georgia rally Friday praising the looks of Republican Senate candidate Mike Collins, calling him “all man,” just four days after telling an Ohio crowd he “started examining” Sen. Jon Husted’s body.
Video:
Trump was in Dalton, Georgia, to campaign for Collins, who is running against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, and Rick Jackson, the Republican nominee for governor. Before he got to policy, he got to faces.
“Somebody said he’s a good looking man. I don’t think he’s a good looking man,” Trump said of Ossoff, whom he also called “Pee‑wee Herman.” He then turned to Collins. “I actually think Mike Collins is a good looking man, and he’s all man. All man. I’m not sure about Ossoff.”
He did not stop there. “Rick Jackson is a very handsome, distinguished, beautiful looking guy,” Trump said of the 72 year old gubernatorial candidate.
Trump then told Mike Collins to stand up so the crowd could get a better look. “Stand up! Look at this. Big, strong guy,” he said, calling the 59 year old congressman “Central Casting,” meaning he looks exactly like what a Hollywood casting office would send over to play a senator.
Trump also took a shot at Ossoff’s grooming, claiming the senator “spends more money on makeup than any man or woman in the history of the Senate.” And the theme kept coming back throughout the speech. Trump said a group of service members looked so good that “you couldn’t hire guys that look this good,” and while telling a story about a New York police officer, he made sure to describe him as a “6’6″, handsome guy.” The rally was also interrupted several times by protesters.
The Georgia remarks followed a moment in Ohio that was still going viral. On Monday in Youngstown, Trump campaigned for Husted, who is in a tight race with former Sen. Sherrod Brown, and spent a stretch of his speech on Husted’s physique.
“I don’t do this with men very often. I started examining his body, because I didn’t know he was a great athlete,” Trump said, referring to Husted’s days as a football player at the University of Dayton. He went on to say he looked Husted up and down, mentioned his backside, and praised his hands, which he described as “claws.” Then he pointed to Husted’s face. “Look at the jawline, I’m telling you,” he said.
Two rallies, two states, and a whole lot of commentary on grown men’s bodies within the same week.
Social media had a field day with both moments. Some people joked about Trump’s comments, while others pointed out that he has a long history of calling powerful men handsome, including Cabinet picks, foreign leaders, and political allies.
The comments also have some people bringing back up one of the stranger stories from the Jeffrey Epstein emails released by the House Oversight Committee last year. In a 2018 email, Epstein’s brother Mark asked whether Vladimir Putin had photos of Trump performing a sex act on someone called “Bubba.” There is no evidence any such photos exist. Many people assumed “Bubba” was Bill Clinton, who has gone by that nickname for decades, but Mark Epstein said the email was a humorous private exchange between brothers, that it was not about Clinton, and that “Bubba” is a private individual who is not a public figure. He has not said who that person is.
Meanwhile, the looks talk may not be moving the polls. Recent surveys show Ossoff leading Mike Collins by 8 to 10 points, while Jackson holds a narrow 49% to 47% lead over former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in one recent InsiderAdvantage poll. The midterm elections are Nov. 3.
