Donald Trump oddly gushed about Sen. Jon Husted’s attractiveness and athleticism during a rally in Ohio — all to boost Republican candidates ahead of the midterms.
The president said Ohioans had to vote for Husted to keep his seat amid a challenge from Sherrod Brown, a former Democratic senator from Ohio.
asserted
Ohioans → gush → Ohio
Jon Gruden, a former Super Bowl-winning coach, introduced the president at Monday’s rally and mentioned to Trump that he and the senator played ball together in college.
asserted
he → win → college
“I'm standing over here, and I don't do this with men very often.
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I → stand → men
I started examining [Husted’s] body because I didn't know he was a great athlete, and I looked, and I watched up and down,” Trump told his supporters Monday night in Youngstown with Husted in the crowd.
asserted
Trump → start → crowd
“I looked at his a**, and I looked at the whole, and then I looked at his hands.
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I → look → hands
He's got these like claws.”
asserted
He → get → claws
Husted was an All-American defensive back at the University of Dayton, where he got his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
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he → get → degrees
Trump said that Gruden told him about Husted’s athletic prowess.
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Gruden → say → prowess
“I said, ‘John, what are you doing here?’
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you → say → what
I thought he was going to say, ‘I'm here for you, sir.
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I → think → you
I have such respect for you.’
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I → have → you
But he didn't say that.
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he → say → that
He said, ‘I'm here for my teammate.’
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I → say → teammate
I said, ‘Who's your teammate?’
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Who → say → ?
He said, ‘It's John Husted,’” Trump told the crowd.
asserted
Trump → say → crowd
The president recalled asking Gruden if Husted was “any good,” to which Gruden replied, “He was the best player on the team.”
asserted
He → recall → team
Later in his speech, Trump baselessly claimed Brown “wants to have men playing in women’s sports” and then went on a rant about female kickers in football.
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men → claim → football
John, did you ever have a woman that you were desperate to have on one of your championship teams?” Trump said.
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Trump → have → teams
“How about every once in a while I'll see a kicker — they have a kicker who's a female because they put them on.”
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they → see → them
Trump then suggested Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham be placed on a men’s team.
uncertain
Cunningham → suggest → team
“Let's put her on.
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's → let → her
I like Sophie.
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I → like → Sophie
Yeah, you'd have a lot of men wanting to go and watch her.
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lot → have → her
You're not allowed to say that anymore.
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You → allow → that
However, as a politician, please, please let me take it back,” the president said.
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president → let → it
Trump’s speech was repeatedly interrupted by protesters, which the president insulted with “your mom” and fat jokes, as he did at a recent Texas rally.
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he → interrupt → rally
During the first disturbance, Trump said there were paid protesters in the crowd.
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Trump → say → crowd
“They get paid by the lefties in order to destroy our country.
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They → pay → country
They're scum, but he's going back home to mom...
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he → go → mom
He's got to go on a diet.
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He → get → diet
He's a fat guy,” Trump said.
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Trump → say → ?
“What he doesn't know is that his mother and father voted for me.”
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mother → know → me
Later on, another protester with a Palestinian flag interrupted Trump’s speech, reminiscent of a protester waving a Mexican and a Palestinian flag during Vice President JD Vance’s speech at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas last month.
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protester → interrupt → Dallas
In a recent CNN poll conducted by research firm SSRS, Brown — who served in the Senate from 2007 to 2025 — led Husted — a former lieutenant governor who was appointed to fill Vance’s vacated Senate seat — by six points among likely Ohio voters, 49 to 43 percent.
asserted
who → conduct → voters
Trump, who’s seen record-low approval ratings, has been campaigning in red states as if he were on the ballot; in fact, he’s told his supporters to vote for Republicans whom he’s endorsed as if he were on the ballot.
asserted
he → see → ballot
Meanwhile, Democrats in Texas, Alaska, Iowa and Kansas are gaining ground in states that Republicans typically win easily, according to recent New York Times/Siena University polls.
uncertain
Republicans → gain → polls
Husted later joined Trump on stage Monday night, telling the crowd, “Mr. President, you've helped bring this region back and this state to prominence.
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you → join → prominence
And I tell you what, we are going to do everything that we can to win on November 3, and you're going to bring it home with us, aren't you?”
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you → tell → us
“Wow, he's really changed since you all learned how great an athlete he was,” Trump said following Husted’s remarks.
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Trump → change → remarks
“I just hit him on the back, and I hurt my hand a little bit.
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I → hit → hand
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
