Donald Trump calls Kristi Noem to podium at Ohio rally, comments on her appearance

Former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump appeared with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem — a potential running mate — and called her up to the mic Saturday during a rally in Ohio.

“We have a very special woman who’s hot as a politician. She’s doing an incredible job in South Dakota. She’s the governor, Kristi Noem,” Trump said during the event in Vandalia, according to a video shared by C-SPAN.

Noem made brief comments while she and Trump both wore red “Make America Great Again” caps.

She said when Trump was president, she was “on offense.”

“As soon as Joe Biden got in the White House, I went on defense,” Noem said. “All I do now is fight to protect the freedom of my people.”

After Noem left the podium, Trump added, “And you’re not allowed to say it, so I will not. You know you’re not allowed to say she’s beautiful, so I’m not going to say that. I will not say it, because that’s the end of your political career, if you make — if you make that statement, that’s the end of your political — so I will not say that.”

Noem and Trump also offered support for Ohio Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno. The rally was staged on a tarmac in front of Trump’s plane for a crowd estimated in the thousands.

Trump’s speech included a “bloodbath” prediction that has drawn widespread criticism from his opponents.

After saying he’d place a 100% tariff on cars produced in Chinese-owned, Mexican factories, Trump clarified “if I get elected.”

“Now if I don’t get elected,” he continued, “it’s gonna be a bloodbath for the whole — that’s gonna be the least of it. It’s gonna be a bloodbath for the country. That’d be the least of it. But they’re not going to sell those cars.”

The Biden campaign connected the phrasing to the violence carried out by Trump’s supporters at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. In a press release after the fact, Trump’s campaign insisted he meant a metaphoric, economic bloodbath rather than a literal one.

The Ohio Capital Journal’s Nick Evans contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Trump calls Noem to podium at Ohio rally, comments on her appearance