Sen. Jon Husted is comfortable being the subject of President Trump’s jokes—but the Ohio Republican now says he has a reputation to maintain.
Husted joked Saturday that Trump’s surprising comments about his physique had motivated him to spend more time at the gym. The president has repeatedly highlighted Husted’s build during campaign rallies.
On Sunday, Trump renewed his praise, claiming Husted’s poll numbers improved “after he said the A-word” and after the president took a closer look at his physique.
Husted nevertheless remains about 3 points behind Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown in the polls.
Husted responded Sunday by saying he appreciated the president’s unexpected compliments.
“When I woke up the next morning after hearing that, I told my wife, I’m like, ‘Hey, I think I got to get down to the gym and keep up my reputation! So, I gotta keep working out,’” Husted told Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie.
“I don’t do this with men very often,” Trump told supporters at a rally earlier this month.
“I started examining his body, because I didn’t know he was a great athlete. And I looked and I watched up and down. I looked at his ass. And then I looked at his hands. Look at his hands. He’s got these, like, claws.”
Trump was describing to rallygoers in Youngstown, Ohio, how he had assessed Husted’s backside and legs—and was impressed by what he saw.
“It’s never been my thing, to be honest with you. But I looked at his ass,” Trump said, prompting laughter from the crowd. “And then I looked at his legs. It’s like a pile of muscle!”
Husted, 59, was a football standout at the University of Dayton and helped lead the team to a Division III national championship.
The senator appeared to take Trump’s comments about his body in stride.
“We’re an athletic family. We try to stay in shape,” Husted said. “I had a great joy of playing college football, and my wife’s a marathon runner, and we’re just trying to be a healthy family.”
Trump, however, was not finished discussing Husted’s physique.
At a rally in Greenville, North Carolina, this weekend, the president returned to his earlier body inspection and offered an even more detailed description of Husted’s muscular build.
“I’ve never studied the body of a man before. It’s not my thing. Nothing wrong with it—of course,” Trump told the crowd before again mentioning Husted’s backside and legs.
Trump also praised the senator’s shoulders, saying he tapped Husted and hurt his own hand in the process.
“He’s like a piece of steel,” Trump said. “I said, ‘This guy’s a monster!’”
The unusual attention has pushed Husted further into the spotlight as he faces Democrat Sherrod Brown in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate contests.
Brown leads Husted 52% to 47% in a Fox News poll, with the race emerging as a pivotal battle in the fight for control of the Senate.
