White House hopeful Sen Cory Booker described President Trump on Monday as an “elderly, out of shape man” and “physically weak specimen” who he occasionally feels like assaulting.
Mr. Booker, New Jersey Democrat, made the remarks while speaking about civility in politics with “Late Night” host Seth Meyers on NBC.
Recalling a recent campaign event in Iowa, Mr. Booker said that he spoke with a former football player who had encouraged him to hit the president.
“He’s a big guy, he puts his arm around me and goes, ’Dude, I want you to punch Donald Trump in the face,’” Mr. Booker said. “And I stop in my tracks and I go, ’Dude, that’s a felony, man.’”
“Donald Trump is a guy who you understand he hurts you, and my testosterone sometimes makes me want to feel like punching him, which would be bad for this elderly out-of-shape man that he is if I did that,” Mr. Booker said with a smile as studio audience members started applauding. “This physically weak specimen.”
Mr. Booker quickly changed course and said he would not stoop to bullying the president, however.
“That’s his tactics,” said Mr. Booker. “And you don’t beat a bully like him fighting him on his tactics, on his terms, using his turf. He’s the body-shamer, he’s the guy that tries to drag people in the gutter.”
“We will not beat Donald Trump by trying to be more likely him, but by showing that we are not like him. We are not weak morally. We are not weak mentally. We are a strong nation,” said Mr. Booker.
The mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013, Mr. Booker has represented New Jersey on Capitol Hill for nearly six years and is among a handful of senators currently vying for the Democratic Party nomination to compete against Mr. Trump in 2020.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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