NOVI, MI — Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper by her first name in recent days, making the Republican presidential candidate’s closing message a focus on extremely masculine men. We are focusing on appealing to people who are interested.
In a Friday morning post on President Trump’s social media site TruthSocial, the former president referred to one of America’s most prominent openly gay journalists as “Alison Cooper.”
President Trump made this point even clearer late Friday at a rally in Traverse City, Michigan, when he criticized a town hall hosted by Cooper with Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I saw her being interviewed by Alison Cooper the other day, and he’s a nice guy. Do you know Alison Cooper? Fake news on CNN,” Trump said, before pausing to tease He said this in a deep voice. “Oh, she said no, his name is Anderson. Oh my god.”
CNN journalist Anderson Cooper in New York City on December 10, 2023. Mike Coppola/Getty Images for CNN
On Saturday, President Trump repeated the name at another rally in Michigan and later made similar remarks at an overnight reference in Pennsylvania. “They had a town hall,” Trump said in Michigan. “Even Alison Cooper was embarrassed by this. He was embarrassed by it.”
By calling Cooper by a woman’s name, President Trump appeared to tap into stereotypes that straight men have long held against gay men. Such rhetoric, which evokes the trope of gay men as effeminate, comes as President Trump seeks to strengthen his appeal among men in the final stages of his return to the White House.
On Friday, the former president recorded a three-hour interview with Joe Rogan, a former mixed martial arts commentator whose podcast is hugely popular among young people. On October 19, President Trump opened a rally in Pennsylvania discussing the genitals of legendary golfer Arnold Palmer.
The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment. A representative for Mr. Cooper declined to comment.
