It’s a familiar path for Donald Trump. Carly Fiorina, Trump’s rival in the race for the Republican nomination is the latest target in a volley of mean-spirited chides from the billionaire-turned-candidate. What’s ruffling feathers for many, though, is that Trump isn’t going after Fiorina on the issues, choosing instead to ridicule her for looks. Bloomberg News , via Rolling Stone , recounts a recent incident in which the GOP frontrunner openly mocked the physical appearance of Fiorina while watching Fox News with some campaign staffers.
“When the anchor throws to Carly Fiorina for her reaction to Trump’s momentum, Trump’s expression sours in schoolboy disgust as the camera bores in on Fiorina. ‘Look at that face!’ he cries. ‘Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!’”
The article, which is the cover story for the next issue of Rolling Stone , also included a subsequent quip from Trump in which he teased some restraint before once again reaffirming his apparent distaste with Fiorina’s countenance.
“I mean, she’s a woman, and I’m not s’posedta say bad things, but really folks, come on. Are we serious?”
No stranger to jabs from Donald Trump, Carly Fiorina appeared on The Kelly File once the Rolling Stone story broke to address the alleged insults. For her part, Fiornia took the high road, refraining from making derogatory comments about her opponent according to USA Today .
“Well, I think those comments speak for themselves and all the many, many thousands of voters that are helping me climb in the polls out there. Yes, they’re very serious. … I’m not going to spend a single cycle wondering what Donald Trump means. Maybe, just maybe, I’m getting under his skin a little bit because I am climbing in the polls.”
His renewed feud with Carly Fiorina is the latest chapter in the outspoken tycoon’s propensity to mount attacks based on specific traits, including ethnicity, gender, and physical appearance. Trump infamously launched his presidential bid with incendiary comments about Mexicans and used his appearance at the first GOP debate to renew his longstanding war of insults with Rosie O’Donnell. Trump also mixed it up with Fox News host Megyn Kelly during the debate, and via social media afterwards, with comments that appeared to reference Kelly’s gender.
Donald Trump has previously responded to criticism over his treatment of female foils with assertions that he “cherishes” women . Nevertheless, chances seem pretty slim for a Donald Trump/Carly Fiorina ticket in 2016. In fact, The Baltimore Sun is already suggesting that a more formidable political alliance might be in the works if the GOP’s current second-place candidate Ben Carson taps Fiorina for the vice presidential slot should the former neurosurgeon eventually wrest the nomination from Trump.
[Image via Theo Stroomer/Getty Images]