GOP's closing argument gets cheeky
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
President Trump seems to think he can save a vulnerable Ohio Republican senator's ass by talking about how strong it is.
Why it matters: Republicans are getting hammered over the war in Iran, gas prices and data centers. But they're playing along with Trump's ogling of male candidates, which he's described as an election strategy.
- "I don't do this with men very often. I started examining his body because I didn't know he was a great athlete. And I looked and I watched up and down and I looked at his ass," Trump said of Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) at an Ohio rally.
- "My wife and I have a good sense of humor, and we know he's doing all he can to help us win," Husted told Axios. "We have made sure to hit the gym during the busy campaign to uphold the high standards the president has set for us."
Zoom in: In five rallies over three weeks across the country, Trump gave a head-to-toe appraisal of his most vulnerable Republican senator.
- "His ass was like a big piece of muscle," Trump said in Michigan last week.
- "Then I looked at his legs and I said, 'Man, his feet are big,' " Trump said in North Carolina.
- Polling has shown Husted narrowly behind or tied with former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), and Republicans view him as the most vulnerable GOP incumbent.
Zoom out: Husted is getting the most love, but he's not alone.
- "You know, he's a very handsome guy," Trump said about Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) at a Montana rally earlier this month.
- "I like the white hair, I like the big, strong build. Big, strong guy." Trump said of Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.), who is running for Senate in Georgia. Trump called him "all man."
- "I actually think that Rick Jackson's a very handsome, distinguished, beautiful-looking guy," Trump said about the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Georgia.
- "Look at this beautiful guy," Trump said of House candidate Ed Gallrein (R-Ky.). Trump called him: "Central casting."
Between the lines: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has also joined the fun: "I know that Husted gets a ton of attention, but I think Bernie is kinda eye-candy too," he joked during an event Tuesday.
- Thune was referring to Husted's fellow Ohio Republican senator, Bernie Moreno.
- "They both got it going on when it comes to that," Thune said.
The other side: Trump has questioned the looks of Democratic senators and candidates.
- "I don't think he's a good looking man," he said of Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), who he frequently refers to as Pee-wee Herman.
- He has called Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico a "weird looking dude," comparing him to Alfred E. Neuman — though Trump hasn't been much kinder to Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton.
The bottom line: Trump argued at a rally in Texas this week that "the audience loved" his description of Husted's body.
- "By the way, he went up 12 points that day. He went from being down to being up," Trump continued.
- "Maybe I should do that with Ken Paxton, but I'm not sure your body is gonna qualify."
