Donald Trump mimicked a sex act and declared "I love the meat" while targeting a Democratic rival at a campaign rally in Texas. The 80-year-old made the false claim that James Talarico was secretly vegan, saying: "You ever see him go to a barbecue and he's trying to show, 'I love the meat. Ahhh.' And then you see him – where is he? He's behind the tent puking."
A clip of Trump pretending to put meat in his mouth was shared online and roundly mocked by social media users. One user quipped: "Believe it or not, the caption criminally undersells the audio. I'm in tears."
Comments on Senator Jon Husted's Body
At a second event later on Tuesday to drum up support for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, Trump again told how he examined Senator Jon Husted's body at a previous rally. He said: "I made the mistake of saying – that I started off by studying his a**. And then I looked at his feet, and they were massive. Then I looked at his hands... He has fingers like sausages. But I made the mistake of studying his anatomy and explaining it to the audience, and the audience loved it."
He rambled on: "By the way, he went up 12 points that day. He went from being down to being up. Maybe I should do that with Ken Paxton, but I'm not sure your body is gonna qualify."
Growing Concerns Over Trump's Health
It comes amid growing concerns over Trump's health as he appears to have grown obsessed with men's physiques. He praised the hunky squaddies at a recent rally and appeared to reveal a desire to make an adult film with them.
Trump claimed to "have never studied the body of a man before" when he praised Senator Jon Husted's body earlier this month. But he then went on to say: "I looked at his a and then I looked at his legs. I said his a, 's, it's like a pile of muscle'. Then I looked at his legs and I said, 'man, his feet are big,' then I looked at his shoulders and I tapped him on the shoulder. And it actually hurt my hand. It was like a piece of steel. I said, 'this guy's a monster.'"
CNN – a long-term target of his attacks on "Fake News Media" – compiled a range of clips of him praising the physique of plenty of other men, including saying of NFL quarterback Jaxson Dart: "He's a beautiful guy, he's got legs like tree trunks." Trump also once said of fellow NFL star Harrison Butker: "He's a handsome guy, by the way. It's usually not my thing, but he is a good looking sucker."
Opponents Point to Cognitive Decline
Some armchair shrinks have suggested he is exhibiting inappropriate sexual behaviour, a recognised medical symptom of dementia which affects an estimated 7% to 25% of individuals living with the condition. Opponents also point to his public outbursts, tense clashes with reporters, unusual remarks and apparent physical difficulties as "evidence" that he may be in cognitive decline.
His own niece Mary Trump – the daughter of the President's older brother Fred Jr – has repeatedly claimed he has had "undiagnosed, untreated, psychiatric disorders for many, many years." Polling suggests the Republican Party could sustain severe losses in the midterms on November 3, potentially costing them their congressional majorities.
