The message delivered by a president during a high-stakes midterm campaign can be critical.
As President Trump travels the country ahead of this year’s elections, he might focus on selling Americans on how he will bring the Iran war to a close, or control rising prices.
But in a puzzling approach, at some recent rallies he has instead started his often-meandering remarks by effusing about the physical appearances of other men and, more rarely, finding fault with them.
Mr. Trump has long marveled at the physical appearance of some men, sometimes gravitating to a favored phrase to describe men whose looks he appreciates: straight from “central casting.”
But lately Mr. Trump has been particularly quick to gush about male bodies. Here are five times the ever-unscripted president has hailed or assailed men for the way they look in recent months.
‘He’s got a jawline’
As Mr. Trump held a rally in Highland Heights, Ky., on Saturday, he quickly recalled meeting the local Republican nominee for the House, Ed Gallrein, and said he looked like he had come from “central casting.”
Mr. Gallrein defeated a Republican critic of Mr. Trump, Representative Thomas Massie, in a primary in May. Mr. Trump had long targeted Mr. Massie for defeat.
“I needed somebody good, and this guy walks through the door,” Mr. Trump said of Mr. Gallrein. “I said, look at this beautiful guy.”
Then Mr. Trump turned his focus to a Republican in a neighboring state, Senator Jon Husted of Ohio. Mr. Trump said he recently learned that Mr. Husted played college football. He recalled looking carefully at the physique of the senator, whom he campaigned with on Monday.
“I never did that with a man before,” Mr. Trump said. “I examined his ass, and then I looked at his shoulders. I looked at his feet. I looked at his hand. I looked at his jawline. Studied him. He’s got a jawline.”
Mr. Trump delivered a similar commentary at the rally on Monday.
I looked, and I watched up and down,” Mr. Trump said earlier in the week. Speaking directly to Mr. Husted from the stage on Monday, Mr. Trump said: Congratulations. Now they finally know.”
On Saturday, Mr. Trump claimed without evidence that Mr. Husted, who is in a tough race, had gained “9 or 10 points since I talked about that.”
‘A good-looking man — and he’s all man’
Mr. Trump was not five minutes into his remarks at a rally in Dalton, Ga., on Friday before he turned to an assessment of the physical attributes of Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia, a Democrat, and his Republican challenger, Representative Mike Collins.
Mr. Trump started with Mr. Ossoff.
“Somebody said he’s a good-looking man,” Mr. Trump said of the senator. “I don’t think he’s a good-looking man. I actually think Mike Collins is a good-looking man — and he’s all man. He’s all man. I’m not sure about Ossoff.”
The president added that he thought Mr. Ossoff looked like Pee-wee Herman, the bow-tied comedic character created by the actor Paul Reubens.
Mr. Trump then addressed Rick Jackson, the Republican nominee for Georgia governor.
“I actually think that Rick Jackson’s a very handsome, distinguished, beautiful-looking guy,” the president said.
Later in his remarks, Mr. Trump turned his focus to the military, saying that because he was president he spent time with soldiers from “central casting.”
“We’re allowed to have big, strong, handsome soldiers now,” the president said.
He declared, “you couldn’t hire guys that look this good,” and added it was an experience he hadn’t had at Trump Tower.
“There are some reasons to be president,” he said.
‘He may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen’
Mr. Trump’s allies have not been safe from critical assessments.
At his midterm convention in Dallas last month, the president made clear he disapproved of the appearance of the Republican nominee for Senate in the state, Ken Paxton, but urged his supporters to back Mr. Paxton anyway.
“Some may not like the way he dresses,” Mr. Trump said. “I don’t.”
“He may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen,” Mr. Trump continued. “But you know what he is? He’s the greatest attorney general in America.”
Mr. Trump said, “I am very sorry, Ken, I hated to do it.”
The president suggested his advisers had told him not to comment on the way Mr. Paxton looked. “They said, ‘Sir, you can’t say that,’” Mr. Trump said.
But he said he had to deliver the assessment because “it’s true.”
‘Very handsome guy’
When Mr. Trump took the stage in Suffern, N.Y., in May to campaign with Representative Mike Lawler of New York, a vulnerable Republican, the president was introduced by the New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.
In his remarks, Mr. Trump compared Mr. Dart’s appearance with that of the commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick.
He said Mr. Lutnick “looks good, looks handsome — reasonably.”
“He doesn’t look like Jaxson,” Mr. Trump added. “I’d rather look like Jaxson. I’ll take Jaxson any day.”
When Mr. Dart was injured last month, Mr. Trump said he hoped the quarterback would recover quickly, fondly recalling how the player had introduced him at the rally.
“Jaxson Dart, who’s a great talent, a handsome guy, very handsome guy, and he loved Trump, and he wanted to introduce me,” Mr. Trump said at a White House event.
‘I want to check him out’
Delivering the commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in May, Mr. Trump appeared to be impressed by some of the graduates.
Inviting the top academic achiever in the class to the stage, the president said, “I want to see this guy,” and then added, “I hate good-looking men.”
Moments later, Mr. Trump congratulated the top achiever in the class on fitness tests. The crowd cheered.
“Wow, this guy must be something,” Mr. Trump said. “I think we’ll have to invite him up.”
The president added: “Get up here, please. I want to see. I want to check him out.”
As the graduate approached the stage, Mr. Trump exclaimed, “Look at the muscles on this guy.”
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