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Trump calls female heckler 'fat' after she's punched in the face by crowd member at Ohio rally
A video shared on X showed several rally attendees hitting and punching the woman before security personnel intervened and escorted her away.
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US President Donald Trump mocked a female heckler over her weight and physical appearance during a rally in Ohio after she was allegedly punched in the face by other attendees.
The incident took place at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on Monday, where Trump was addressing supporters ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections, as per a report by People. A video shared on X showed several rally attendees hitting and punching the woman before security personnel intervened and escorted her away.
As the altercation unfolded, Trump commented on the woman from the stage, dismissing her as a paid protester and accusing her of being part of an effort to undermine the country. “He’s a paid protester. They’re all paid. They get paid by the lefties in order to destroy our country, they’re scum,” Trump said, referring to the heckler.
Trump then turned to her physical appearance, saying, “Oh, he’s got to go on a diet, he’s a fat guy.” “Wow, got to go on a diet, fast … we all do,” he added.
The woman appeared to be wearing a shirt bearing the words “Release the Epstein files”.
According to a report by People, the woman was one of three hecklers at the rally.
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Trump comments on Republican candidate’s appearance
The Ohio rally also featured Trump’s support for Republican candidates Jon Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy, who are running in the 2026 midterm elections for the Senate and Ohio governorship, respectively. Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jim Tressel and internet personality Jake Paul also expressed support for the Republican Party at the event, according to the outlet.
During the rally, Trump also joked about Husted’s physical appearance while recounting an anecdote about learning that the politician had played football in college. “I looked and I watched up and down. I watched his ass and I looked at the whole— and then I looked at his hands,” Trump said.
“Look at his hands, he’s got these, like, claws. And I got it. You are a great athlete. I didn’t know that because he doesn’t talk about that. Congratulations, now they finally know. That was very good,” he added.
Trump on US midterm elections
The incident comes less than a month before the 2026 US midterm elections, which Trump has repeatedly described as crucial for Republicans.
Last month, the president organised a Republican midterm convention in Dallas in an effort to strengthen support for his party ahead of the elections. In January, Trump also warned Republican lawmakers that losing the midterms could lead to another impeachment attempt against him.
“You got to win the midterms, because if we don’t win the midterms, it’s just going to be — I mean, they’ll find a reason to impeach me. I’ll get impeached,” Trump told Republican lawmakers at the time.
