“I was very excited about that”: JD Vance has an awkward explanation for Trump’s obsession with male candidates bodies

JD Vance was in Montana on Monday. The Vice President, forty-two years old, had made the trip to Bozeman to campaign for Republicans in the state’s Senate race, according to a report shared by NBC Montana. The rally touched on national security, beef prices, and data centers.

At the rally Vance also addressed comments made by Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) earlier that day. The interaction drew attention amid a series of campaign appearances in which the administration’s public remarks about political allies had become a recurring theme. Vance later acknowledged the compliment from the podium.

“Now, somebody told me that Ryan Zinke complimented my beautiful blue eyes earlier today,” Vance said.

“I was very excited about that,” he added.

Vance then connected the exchange to what he described as confidence within the Trump-Vance administration.

“We’re not afraid. We’re self-confident men in the Trump-Vance administration. 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.

(Vance’s reference to physical appearance is reproduced as a reported public remark. This publication does not independently assess or endorse the characterization of anyone’s appearance.)

JD Vance addressed Trump’s comments about Jon Husted’s body in Cincinnati before the Montana appearance:

In Ohio, JD Vance appeared at a campaign event that also featured Ohio Senator Jon Husted.

“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?" he shared.

"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,” added Vance.

Trump’s comments about Husted’s physique had become a recurring theme on the campaign trail. As per a report shared by USA Today on Oct. 22, 2026, Trump told the same story at three separate campaign speeches in the lead-up to the Nov. 3 midterm election. It traced back to NFL coach Jon Gruden, who had told Trump that Husted played college football with Gruden at the University of Dayton in the 1980s.

(The remarks below are Trump’s own words about another person’s physical appearance, reported here exactly as they appeared in the original coverage. This publication is reporting them, not endorsing them.)

Addressing one Ohio campaign crowd, Trump reportedly shared,

“I don’t do this with men very often. I started examining his body, because I didn’t know he was a great athlete. And I looked and I watched up and down.”

JD Vance voices support for Kurt Alme and Aaron Flint while taking aim at Democratic Senate candidates:

Vance’s appearance at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Belgrade covered more ground than just the compliment exchange. The Vice President showed up to back Republican candidates Kurt Alme and Aaron Flint ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election, while also turning his attention to the Democrats in the Senate race. Addressing the crowd, Vance shared,

“You have not one but two Democrats on the ballot.”

Vance was referring to Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alani Bankhead and independent candidate Seth Bodnar. He reportedly took aim at candidates who style themselves as moderates, saying they ultimately backed Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and what he called “far left interest groups.”

[Vance’s characterization of these candidates as supporters of far-left interests reflects his own political position. This publication is not drawing that conclusion independently.]

JD Vance also sat down with NBC Montana’s Phil Howard during the visit. In the interview, he said local communities should have a say in whether data centers get built in their area, and that companies building those facilities should also take responsibility for adding to the power supply. He also reportedly argued this approach could help data centers earn community goodwill while cutting down political pushback. Vance told Howard,

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“You cannot build a data center and suck power out of the grid. You’ve got to put power back into the grid.”

JD Vance was also asked why he chose to campaign in a state traditionally seen as Republican territory. He called Montana “an independent state.” He argued that candidates still owe voters a direct case for their support, regardless of a state’s political leanings. He described Alme and Flint as “two conservative patriots” and said he expected their message to resonate with Montanans.

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