Of all the subjects discussed in Monday night’s presidential debate, Hillary Clinton’s final attack — where she dragged out Donald Trump’s disparaging comments about women — has left the most lasting impression. Since then, the world has become reacquainted with former Miss Universe Alicia Machado and Trump’s renewed declaration that she “gained a massive amount of weight.” Clinton wove together a campaign ad full of Trump’s “Miss Piggy”-styled comments, and Trump claims that he only helped Machado lose weight and keep her job, and boy, some people just aren’t grateful.
Megyn Kelly devoted multiple evenings to this mess, including a confrontation with Kellyanne Conway, who tried to claim that her boss rarely makes sexist comments. On Thursday, Kelly clearly had enough before the program began. She asked her guests — Trump fan Carl Bigbie and Clinton supporter Krystal Ball — why Trump, his team, and his supporters won’t “shut up” and stop trying to dictate the ideal female body. Bigbie didn’t see what the big deal was with Trump commenting on a woman’s weight 20 years ago, but Ball points out how he “keeps talking about it.” She believes “it’s relevant to people whether their future president might be a sexist pig.” Yet Bigbie thinks Machado should have simply enjoyed her “luxury exercise program.”
Kelly realizes that no major world problems will be solved during this segment, but she’d really like to know why Trump is willingly and potentially alienating 70% of Americans with his comments about overweight bodies. And as she points out, “including Trump” himself. She’s not wrong. Trump’s already lost those 400-lb hackers, but what about the mildly overweight voters, who are already insecure about their weight and don’t want to hear it from a presidential nominee?
This election has finally become about everything but the big issues.
