Trump touts Republicans’ looks ahead of midterms

President Donald Trump has been promoting and ranking candidates by appearance at recent midterm events. At a Saturday Kentucky rally at Truist Arena, he called House hopeful and former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein a "beautiful guy" and "central casting," then described Ohio Sen. Jon Husted—praised earlier in Ohio and as a former college football player—as a "perfect person, good-looking guy," saying he examined Husted's body part by part. At the Republican midterm convention he said he does not like Ken Paxton's looks while Paxton grinned nearby, adding Paxton's record "speaks a lot louder than the suit he's wearing that doesn't look so great." At a Friday Georgia rally for Mike Collins he rejected praise of Sen. Jon Ossoff's looks, compared Ossoff to Pee-wee Herman, and called Rick Jackson handsome. Trump formerly owned Miss Universe and hosted The Apprentice. An ABC News/Washington Post poll has Democrats ahead 52%-44% in the congressional race; control of Congress is at stake. CONTESTED: Left-rated coverage stresses Trump as a message distraction for Republicans; right-rated coverage presents the remarks as a looks-based campaign pitch. No center-rated headlines appear in the record.