Elections

Female senators are ‘worried’ about Trump’s weight

By Lindsay Wise

lwise@mcclatchydc.com

September 28, 2016 05:16 PM

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., tweeted that Donald Trump should submit to daily public weigh-ins. Lauren Victoria Burke AP
WASHINGTON

Donald Trump’s disparaging comments on the weight of a former Miss Universe contestant haven’t escaped the notice of the women who serve in the U.S. Senate, according to Sen. Claire McCaskill.

McCaskill tweeted on Wednesday that she and her fellow women senators are “worried about Donald Trump’s weight.”

The Democrat from Missouri speculated whether the problem might be campaign stress, and suggested that the Republican presidential nominee submit to “a public daily weigh-in.”

The tweet, she noted, was a joke. But “a pointed one.”

September 28, 2016
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McCaskill has spoken openly about her own efforts to lose weight in the past. In 2011, she credited twitter with keeping her motivated to lose 50 pounds in six months. “Maybe talking about it publicly will keep me on track,” she tweeted at the time, and she followed up by posting about her gym visits and diet.

When she hit her weight loss goal, she tweeted, “GOOAALLLLLLLL!! I did it! Lost 50 lbs.”

Her tweet mocking Trump’s weight on Wednesday came the day after Trump criticized former Miss Universe Alicia Machado for gaining “a massive amount of weight” in an appearance on Fox News. He said it was “a real problem.”

Trump’s Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, brought up Machado in Monday’s presidential debate as an example of what she said were his disparaging comments about women. Clinton said Trump had called Machado “Miss Piggy.”

McCaskill is a Clinton supporter and media surrogate.

Lindsay Wise: 202-383-6007, @lindsaywise