As we approach midterm elections, many of us are reflecting on just how deeply unserious our current leadership can be. We might find much more humor in the day-to-day foolishness, of course, if our collective rights weren’t on the line because of the politicians leading our country.
This week, certain members of the administration seem to be really feeling themselves.
It all started on Monday, when President Trump flew to Ohio to support Republican incumbent Jon Husted. Although Trump is known for his intrusive and professionally inappropriate comments about people’s bodies, they’re usually directed at women.
During this rally, though, the president mentioned that he had heard Husted had once been a “great athlete” before checking him out head-to-toe and admitting to the crowd that he had “looked at his ass.” It seems this was meant as an endorsement of sorts.
The following day, Vice President JD Vance was at a rally in Texas for Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton, who is running against popular Democrat James Talarico. When someone in the audience expressed his admiration for Vance, the vice president responded: “I love you too sir... In a totally platonic way, to be clear. I’m the vice president, not James Talarico,” per the New York Times.
This isn’t a fever dream. It’s 2026, and the vice president of the United States is “no-homo”-ing people at his rallies. All while the president is making unsolicited, borderline homoerotic comments about a 59-year-old Republican politician’s backside, seemingly in an attempt to get people to vote for him.
Not only are these interactions absurd and unprofessional in context, but they’re also indicative of something deeper — in both instances, two of the most powerful men in the world are using other men’s bodies or perceived sexuality as political props. Trump turns Husted into the butt of a joke (literally), while Vance suggests that being gay is a disqualifying characteristic, or at the very least one to laugh at, for a political opponent.
These are the kind of jokes we usually expect from teenage boys trying to establish who’s the most masculine of the group. For years, the manosphere has pushed a version of masculinity in which dominance, aggression and putting other people down are seen as signs of strength.
These types of comments feel even more disturbing right now in light of several disturbing cases of sexual violence that perpetuate the idea that men in power can say and do whatever they want at the cost of others’ bodies. They raise questions about the culture of masculinity we’re enabling, and what happens when men are taught that asserting power over other people’s bodies is supposed to be funny.
Again, Trump vocalizing his surprisingly great taste in men and Vance being so insecure in his masculinity that he needed that disclaimer would all be kind of hilarious if these weren’t the people running the most powerful country in the world.
Americans are struggling with the cost of living, young people can hardly afford rent, and the country is grappling with very real questions about sexual violence and accountability. But sure, let’s make unsolicited comments about people’s asses and sexualities.