Former President Trump joked Wednesday about North Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson’s weight at a Tar Heel State rally.
At the beginning of the address to his supporters in Asheboro, N.C., Trump turned left in the direction of Robinson while standing on the stage and said, “Thank Goodness, Mark lost a lot of weight over the last couple of months.”
“You did actually,” he continued.
The address was the former president’s first outdoor campaign event since he was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt in Butler, Pa. The stage in North Carolina was equipped with panes of bulletproof glass and had storage containers stacked in the vicinity.
“Trump was speaking on a very small stage and made a lighthearted remark after calling up Mark and 30 sheriffs to the tiny stage” David Keltz, the deputy communications director for Robinson’s campaign, said in a statement to The Hill.
Keltz said that all 30 sheriffs endorsed Robinson earlier on Wednesday.
Trump’s comments on Robinson’s weight come less than two weeks after he mentioned Sen. Jon Tester’s (D-Mont.) physical appearance, saying the senator’s “got the biggest stomach I have ever seen.”
Mike Lonergan, spokesperson for Robinson’s campaign, said in a statement to The Hill that GOP gubernatorial nominee “has been working hard in the office, on the campaign trail and in the gym and he appreciates President Trump’s compliment.”
Trump has also repeatedly mocked former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) for his weight and eating habits.
“Christie, he’s eating right now,” Trump said a little more than a year ago in New Hampshire, according to NBC News. “He can’t be bothered.”
Christie, who ran against Trump in the 2024 GOP primary, went after Trump over his weight comments, telling Fox News’s Howard Kurtz on “MediaBuzz” that “Oh, like he’s some Adonis.”
“You know, look, Howie, there are tens of millions of Americans out in your audience watching right now who, like me, have struggled with their weight,” Christie added. “I continue to struggle. I continue to try to do better. And so … what’s that got to do with my competence for office?”
During his civil fraud trial, Trump made comments about his own appearance while in the courtroom.
“I gotta lose some weight,” Trump told Isabelle Brourman, one of the sketch artists, after viewing her portrait, according to Reuters.
The Hill has reached out to Robinson’s campaign for comment.
Updated at 8:33 p.m. EST.