President Donald Trump used his opening remarks at a campaign rally in Chillicothe, Ohio, to reflect on comments he previously made regarding the physical attributes of Senator Jon Husted. During the address, Trump also expressed frustration with how media outlets covered his statements from the campaign trail while continuing to speak admiringly of the incumbent Republican.
“I was examining that man for his physical prowess, and I got it—when he stood up, I looked at him, I looked him all over the place, and I should have never said what I said, but I said I started by looking at his ass, and it was strong as hell,” Trump told the crowd. He added criticism of media coverage, saying, “And the problem is the fake news… they said, ‘I looked at his ass,’ and they cut. And then they, all night long, they say, ‘Why did he say that?’ In other words, they just went cut, and it didn’t look good for me.”
Trump has repeatedly brought up Husted’s physical appearance during campaign events since previously stumping for the Ohio senator earlier in the month. He previously recounted to supporters that he had not initially noticed Husted’s physique until former NFL coach Jon Gruden informed him that the senator had played college football.
Recalling Gruden’s assessment, Trump noted at the earlier event that Husted was an All-American football player who played on a championship-caliber team. “And I don’t do this with men very often. I started examining his body, because I didn’t know he was a great athlete,” the president said.
Since those initial remarks, the topic has resurfaced at several campaign stops across the country. Trump has mentioned Husted’s physical build during rallies in North Carolina, Michigan, and Texas. During the Texas stop, he joked that he might make similar remarks about Republican candidate Ken Paxton, before adding, “but I’m not sure your body is going to qualify.”
