Trump Opens Georgia Rally Praising Mike Collins’s ‘Big, Strong Build’
The president mocked Senator John Ossoff’s appearance and touted Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson in Dalton.
President Donald Trump opened a Friday rally in Dalton, Georgia, by commenting on the physical appearance of Republican candidates, singling out Senate hopeful Rep. Mike Collins for his “big, strong build.”
With what he said was eighteen days until the election, Trump used the rally stage to frame the Senate race against incumbent Democratic Sen. John Ossoff as a contest of strength and appearance.
“Eighteen days from now, the people of Georgia are going to defeat your weak, arrogant, radical left senator, who is really — I call him Pee-Wee Herman!” Trump said. He added, “Somebody said he’s a good-looking man. I don’t think he’s a good-looking man.”
Trump then turned to Collins, who is challenging Ossoff for the Senate seat. “I actually think Mike Collins is a good-looking man, and he’s all man. All man. I’m not sure about Ossoff,” the president said.
He also praised Rick Jackson, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, calling him “a handsome, distinguished-looking guy.” Jackson holds a narrow 49% to 47% lead over Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in an InsiderAdvantage poll, despite not appearing at the most recent gubernatorial debate.
Returning to Collins, Trump predicted the congressman would become “one of the best senators” and called him “one of the most respected people in Washington.” He invited Collins to stand on stage and described him as ideal casting for political office.
“If I’m casting a movie for a senator — I like the white hair, I like the big, strong build. Big, strong guy,” Trump said. “But that’s what I want. But he is a respected man.”
Recent polls show Ossoff leading Collins by anywhere from 8 to 10 percentage points in the Senate race, even as Trump worked to elevate the Republican ticket.
The C-SPAN broadcast of the rally captured a campaign appearance in which the president placed candidate looks and physical stature at the center of his closing Georgia pitch.
The Georgia contest leaves Republicans fighting in two different positions: Jackson narrowly ahead in the governor’s race, while Collins enters the final stretch behind Ossoff as Trump rallies support in Dalton.
Reporting by Mediaite. Read the original report: Trump Kicks Off Georgia Rally Praising Senate Candidate's Build.
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