Vice President JD Vance has decided to lean into President Donald Trump’s recent habit of publicly commenting on people’s physical appearances, framing it as a display of confidence rather than something to shy away from.
Speaking at a rally in Montana on Monday, Vance addressed the crowd after learning that Rep. Ryan Zinke, the Republican congressman representing the state, had praised his looks earlier in the day.
“Now, somebody told me that Ryan Zinke complimented my beautiful blue eyes earlier today,” Vance told the audience. “I was very excited about that, you know. We’re not afraid. We’re self-confident men in the Trump-Vance administration.”
The vice president then directly acknowledged what has become an unusual pattern in recent weeks: Trump’s tendency to remark on the physiques of various public figures.
“The president’s been noticing a lot about the physiques of everybody lately, and I am proud Congressman Zinke welcomed me in the right way,” Vance said.
The Montana appearance came just days after Vance navigated similar territory during a rally in Cincinnati, Ohio, the previous Wednesday. On that occasion, he was introducing Ohio Senator Jon Husted when he made a pointed reference to Trump’s earlier comments about the senator.
“Now, this is a tough act to follow, ladies and gentlemen, because what could I possibly say about Jon Husted that Donald J. Trump has not already said?” Vance began, before quickly clarifying his intentions. “Don’t worry, I’m not talking about Jon Husted’s [ ]. I’m not talking about it.”
Instead, Vance pivoted to praising Husted’s legislative record. “But I am gonna tell you, is that over the last two years in less than one-third of a Senate term, Jon Husted has gotten more done than most United States senators get done in 10 years in Washington, DC,” he said.
Trump’s public observations about physical attributes have not been limited to political allies. Over the weekend, the president also reportedly praised rapper Nicki Minaj, describing her backside as “one hell of a beautiful [ ]!”
Rather than distance himself from these remarks or attempt to explain them away, Vance appears to have adopted a strategy of acknowledgment mixed with humor.
