Trump calls Sophie Cunningham a “beautiful young woman” noting Jon Husted would love to have her on his team for "attendance"

Donald Trump made headlines this week after he commented on Sophie Cunningham at a political rally on Monday, October 12. The 47th president was at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio, supporting Republican Senate hopeful Jon Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy, who is running for Ohio governor. Celebrity boxer and influencer Jake Paul shared the stage with him.

Trump addressed a number of issues from the podium that night. AI, immigration and the economy all came up, as he made the case for both candidates. Cunningham got a mention somewhere in there as well, a situation which had the president pulling back on his own remarks almost as soon as he had made them.

“I like Sophie Cunningham, I like Sophie,” Trump shared.

“Yeah, you have a lot of men wanting to go and watch her, she’s beautiful. You’re not allowed to say that anymore, however. As a politician, please, please, let me take it back,” he added.

He also had a word for Husted.

“Anytime a politician says a woman is beautiful, that is generally the end of his political career in the modern day politics world. But Sophie is a beautiful young woman. You probably wouldn’t mind her on the team. Not to help you with points, but to help you with attendance,” Trump said.

As reported by multiple outlets, Trump’s remarks drew attention to Sophie Cunningham’s appearance and presumed appeal to male spectators, framing her value in terms of attendance rather than athletic merit and reinforcing sexist objectification in sports. (The remarks reflect Donald Trump’s personal views and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or editorial standards of this publication.)

Trump comments on Cunningham's appearance and Husted's athletic build at Ohio rally:

As per a report shared by the Independent, Trump’s remarks at the Youngstown rally went beyond Sophie Cunningham. The president also found himself sizing up Husted’s physique from the podium, after Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden introduced him at the event, noting that he and Husted had played college ball together.

“I’m standing over here, and I don’t do this with men very often. I started examining [Husted’s] body because I didn’t know he was a great athlete, and I looked, and I watched up and down,” Trump shared.

“Then I looked at his hands. Look at his hands. He’s got these like claws,” he added.

Husted was an All-American defensive back at the University of Dayton, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Gruden had played on the Dayton Flyers with him back in 1985. Trump also urged Ohioans to back Husted in his Senate race against former Democratic senator Sherrod Brown, and shared a story about why Gruden had turned up to the rally in the first place.

“I said, ‘Jon, what are you doing here?’ I thought he was going to say, ‘I’m here for you, sir. I have such respect for you.’ But he didn’t say that. He said, ‘I’m here for my teammate.’ I said, ‘Who’s your teammate?’ He said, ‘It’s Jon Husted,’” Trump told the crowd.

Trump also recalled asking Gruden whether Husted was “any good” on the field during their college days at Dayton.

“He was the best player on the team,” the coach told him.

Sophie Cunningham’s conservative stance previously earned her praise from JD Vance:

This was not the first time Cunningham had caught the president’s attention. As per a report shared by Vanity Fair, back in August 2026, Cunningham had aligned herself with conservative views and carried an unapologetic bravado both on and off the court, earning her praise from the likes of Vice President JD Vance and the commander-in-chief.

Vance went particularly far in his admiration for the basketball player. In an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, he placed her among those he believes are working to “save the United States of America.”

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“When you’re courageous in this country, some of the worst people in the world will try to attack you,” Vance said.

“I would tell Sophie and anyone else, thank you for speaking your mind; you actually are inspiring a dozen people for every person who criticizes you. We cannot save the United States of America unless you have people of courage who are speaking their mind,” he added.

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