NOVI, Mich. (AP) 鈥� Former President has repeatedly referred to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper with a woman's first name in recent days as the Republican presidential nominee focuses his closing message on a appeal to men.
On a Friday morning post on Trump鈥檚 social media site Truth Social, the former president referred to one of the most prominent openly gay journalists in the U.S. as "Allison Cooper.鈥�
Trump made the subtext even more explicit later Friday during a rally in Traverse City, Michigan, where he criticized a town hall Cooper hosted with Vice President Kamala Harris.
鈥淚f you watched her being interviewed by Allison Cooper the other night, he鈥檚 a nice person. You know Allison Cooper? CNN fake news,鈥� Trump said, before pausing and saying in a mocking voice: 鈥淥h, she said no, his name is Anderson. Oh, no."
On Saturday, Trump repeated the name during another Michigan rally, then followed it up during a nighttime reference in Pennsylvania. 鈥淭hey had a town hall,鈥� Trump said in Michigan. 鈥淓ven Allison Cooper was embarrassed by it. He was embarrassed by it.鈥�
In referring to Cooper with a woman鈥檚 name, Trump appeared to turn to a stereotype heterosexual people have long deployed against gay men. Such rhetoric evokes the trope of gay men as effeminate and comes as Trump aims to drive up his appeal among men in the final stages of his bid to return to the White House.
The former president on Friday recorded a three-hour interview with , a former mixed martial arts commentator whose podcast is wildly popular among young men. On Oct. 19, Trump kicked off a Pennsylvania rally discussing legendary golfer Arnold Palmer鈥檚 .
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment. A representative for Cooper declined to comment.
The Associated Press
