August 16, 2019

Trump Fat-Shamed a Supporter. It Went Just How You Would Imagine.

“Everything’s good. I love the guy.”

Preston Ehrler/Zuma

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

President Donald Trump ridiculed a man’s weight at a Thursday night rally in Manchester, New Hampshire.

“That guy’s got a serious weight problem. Go home. Start exercising,” Trump said as protestors were being led out of the venue, according to the Associated Press. “Got a bigger problem than I do.”

But it turns out, the man Trump had thought was a protestor turned out to be a fan. After the rally, Frank Dawson identified himself as the subject of Trump’s taunts, and he’s surprisingly cool with the president—insults and all.

“Everything’s good. I love the guy,” Dawson told Fox News. “He’s the best thing that ever happened to this country.”

Trump rewarded his good-natured supporter with a phone call Friday morning in which he reportedly claimed he was actually berating someone else. Fat-shaming is clearly a valid line of attack for the president—as long as it’s directed at Democrats.

Keep us relentless, independent, and free to read.

For 50 years, Mother Jones has offered honest, investigative reporting you can rely on:

    • Relentless in the pursuit of truth, unafraid to hold the powerful to account

    • Independent from influence or agenda from oligarchs and corporations

    • Freely accessible to every reader, never behind a paywall

But we can’t do any of this without you. Reader support powers our newsroom to stay nimble and fearless, ready for whatever story comes next. If you can, make a donation today.

Keep us relentless, independent, and free to read.

For 50 years, Mother Jones has offered honest, investigative reporting you can rely on:

    • Relentless in the pursuit of truth, unafraid to hold the powerful to account

    • Independent from influence or agenda from oligarchs and corporations

    • Freely accessible to every reader, never behind a paywall

But we can’t do any of this without you. Reader support powers our newsroom to stay nimble and fearless, ready for whatever story comes next. If you can, make a donation today.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

INDEPENDENT. BECAUSE OF YOU.

Mother Jones has no billionaires calling the shots—just readers like you making fearless reporting possible

Donate