Seth Meyers Theorizes on Trump's Focus on Male Candidates' Bodies
The comedian suggested Donald Trump values appearance over policy due to insecurity.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Seth Meyers has offered a theory on why Donald Trump keeps making unsolicited assessments of male Republican candidates’ bodies at midterm rallies (NBC/Getty Images)
Photograph: Western Morning News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Seth Meyers proposed a theory for Donald Trump's public comments on the bodies of male Republican candidates.
- Meyers suggested Trump's focus on 'looks' over 'substance' stems from insecurity and a lack of knowledge about policy.
- Trump has recently praised male candidates' appearances, using terms like 'handsome,' 'good looking,' 'beautiful,' and 'strong.'
- The comedian referenced specific instances, including Trump's comments on Senator Jon Husted's physique and calling men 'studs' at an Oklahoma rally.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 7 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 2 of the 9 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
48/100
Craft
65/100
Hype
41/100
9 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
None of the 7 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Late-night host Seth Meyers has presented a theory regarding Donald Trump's recent public commentary on the physical appearance of male Republican candidates. Meyers observed that Trump has been deviating from prepared remarks at rallies to offer unsolicited assessments of these men's bodies, describing them as 'handsome,' 'good looking,' 'beautiful,' and 'strong.'
Meyers suggested that this fixation on male physiques is an indicator of Trump's own insecurities and the perceived weakness of his campaign's policy positions. He theorized that Trump prioritizes 'surface over substance' because he 'doesn’t know or care about the issues,' and instead relies on 'marketing' and 'looks.'
Specific Instances Cited
The comedian highlighted several instances of Trump's comments. At a rally in Oklahoma, Trump praised two men as 'big, strong, good looking guys' and called them 'studs.' Meyers also referenced Trump's remarks about Senator Jon Husted's body, including describing his posterior as a 'pile of muscle' at a rally in North Carolina. Meyers questioned Trump's focus, stating, 'When the republican senator from Ohio is up at the podium speaking, you’re not listening to a word he’s saying, you’re just closely analyzing the muscles in his a**?'
What the coverage left out
None of the left-rated reports mentioned any specific details about Donald Trump's upcoming political activities or the broader context of the midterm elections beyond Meyers' commentary. The reports focused solely on Meyers' theory and the specific instances of Trump's comments he highlighted.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 5 times, most recently on 25 Oct 2026, 01:30, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
7 rated outlets
- The left-rated reports focused on Seth Meyers' theory that Donald Trump's public comments about men's bodies signal a focus on 'surface over substance' due to insecurity. These reports highlighted Meyers' assertion that Trump 'doesn’t know or care about the issues' and instead prioritizes 'looks.' The coverage emphasized Trump's use of terms like 'handsome,' 'good looking,' 'beautiful,' and 'strong' when describing male candidates. Specific examples, such as Trump calling men 'studs' at an Oklahoma rally and his comments about Senator Jon Husted's physique, were frequently mentioned. The reports also noted Meyers' comparison of Trump's behavior to a 'blindfolded bachelorette at a strip club' and his questioning of Trump's focus on physical attributes over policy.
Centre
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated centre has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Seth Meyers Theorizes on Trump's Focus on Male Candidates' Bodies?
- Of the 7 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 100% are rated left, 0% are rated centre, 0% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 9. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Seth Meyers Theorizes on Trump's Focus on Male Candidates' Bodies left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 7 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Seth Meyers Theorizes on Trump's Focus on Male Candidates' Bodies biased?
- Seth Meyers Theorizes on Trump's Focus on Male Candidates' Bodies is one event reported by 9 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Seth Meyers Theorizes on Trump's Focus on Male Candidates' Bodies?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Seth Meyers Theorizes on Trump's Focus on Male Candidates' Bodies?
- 9 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What is Seth Meyers' theory about Donald Trump's comments on men's bodies?
- Seth Meyers theorized that Donald Trump's focus on the physiques of male Republican candidates stems from valuing 'surface over substance.' Meyers suggested this indicates Trump's insecurity and lack of engagement with policy issues, leading him to prioritize appearance and marketing.
- What kind of comments has Donald Trump made about men's bodies?
- Donald Trump has made unsolicited assessments of male candidates' bodies at recent rallies, describing them as 'handsome,' 'good looking,' 'beautiful,' and 'strong.' He also referred to some men as 'studs' and commented on Senator Jon Husted's physique, calling his butt a 'pile of muscle.'
- Which outlets reported on Seth Meyers' theory?
- The story was reported by Western Morning News, HuffPost, Buzzfeed, Phil's Stock World, The Independent, The Independent (US), The Wrap, The New Republic, and HuffPost UK. All reports were digests except for Western Morning News and HuffPost.
Read it at the source
9 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
7- "Big, Strong, Handsome Oklahoma Studs": Trump Won't Stop Talking About Other Men's Bodies, And Seth Meyers Has A Theory As To Why (opens Buzzfeed in a new tab)
Buzzfeed — is Buzzfeed biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Seth Meyers offers theory on Trump’s obsession with male candidates’ bodies (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Seth Meyers offers theory on Trump’s obsession with male candidates’ bodies (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Seth Meyers Left Baffled by Trump's Comments About Other Men's Bodies: 'Why Are You So Weird?' (opens The Wrap in a new tab)
- Seriously, Why Does Trump Keep Talking About Men’s Bodies Like This? (opens The New Republic in a new tab)
The New Republic — is The New Republic biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Seth Meyers Spots What Could Be Behind Trump's Bizarre Rants About Men's Bodies (opens HuffPost UK in a new tab)
HuffPost UK — is HuffPost UK biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Seth Meyers Spots What Could Be Behind Trump's Bizarre Rants About Men's Bodies (opens HuffPost in a new tab)
HuffPost — is HuffPost biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
Centre
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
2- Seriously, Why Does Trump Keep Talking About Men’s Bodies Like This? (opens Phil's Stock World in a new tab)
Phil's Stock World — is Phil's Stock World biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Seth Meyers offers theory on Trump’s obsession with male candidates’ bodies (opens Western Morning News in a new tab)
Western Morning News — is Western Morning News biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
