President Donald Trump escalated personal attacks on Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia and Texas Senate candidate James Talarico on Tuesday, comparing their appearances to fictional characters in a Truth Social post.
Trump's Social Media Comparison
In the post, Trump shared side-by-side photos of the politicians with what he claimed were their doppelgangers. “Isn’t it strange, the Dumocrats are running a man in Texas who looks virtually identical to Alfred E. Neuman, of MAD Magazine fame and, in Georgia, they’re running someone who looks like a twin to the Late, Great, Pee-wee Herman,” Trump wrote.
He touted the Republican candidates running against them: “With these two horrible Political Candidates, I don’t know if there’s a genetic tree, but it certainly is close! What do you think? In any event, Mike Collins, of Georgia, should easily beat Pee-wee, and Ken Paxton, of Texas, should easily beat Alfred E. Vote Republican and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The Fictional Characters
Alfred E. Neuman is the gap-toothed, freckle-faced cartoon mascot of MAD Magazine, first appearing in the 1950s. Pee-wee Herman is the goofy manchild character portrayed by Paul Reubens in television and films during the 1980s.
Contradicting Polling Data
Despite Trump’s claim that Republicans would “easily beat” the Democrats, recent polling suggests competitive races. In Texas, Talarico is running against scandal-plagued Attorney General Ken Paxton, with polls showing a tight contest. In Georgia, Ossoff is tracking to beat Representative Mike Collins, according to early reports.
Both Senate races are considered critical to Democratic hopes of retaking the Senate majority.
