WASHINGTON: Recent history of US Presidential elections suggests that the taller of the two major party candidates usually wins. Perhaps with that in mind, MAGA leader Donald Trump is insisting on “no boxes of artificial lifts” that may help Kamala Harris overcome the height deficit in Tuesday’s presidential debate.
At six foot three inches, the 190cm tall Trump will tower nearly a foot over five foot four inch (162.5 cm) Harris.But with several polls showing they at level in the Presidential race, a peevish Trump is seeking to squeeze advantage from every inch of his lumbering frame during the debate where her supporters expect a “petite” Harris to boss over a corpulent opponent.
“In my upcoming debate with Kamala Harris, there will be no boxes or artificial lifts permitted… We must ensure the American people see who we truly are, with no tricks or deception,” a petulant Trump posted on social media, recalling that his campaign had ensured similar conditions against NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg (who is 5′ 5″) in a previous presidential debate. Bloomberg had denied that he had sought a box to stand on, and fired back saying Trump “lies about everything: his fake hair, his obesity and his spray-tan.”
Trump’s suo motu demand — absent any request from the Harris campaign for height enhancement — invited ridicule on social media with some trolls suggesting, among other things, that he should have his coiffed hair cropped to reveal his true height. Others wanted him denied his make-up to reveal his “true colors” and still others wanted a weight standard instituted.
The Harris campaign ignored the MAGA man’s petty concerns, but it was Harris’s husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff’s former wife Kerstin Emhoff, who came to her defense against Trump’s tawdry concern, tweeting, “Always the nasty man. Trying to use his physicality to intimidate women.”
During the 2016 Presidential debate, Trump had crept up behind Hillary Clinton (who is half inch taller than Kamala Harris) and loomed over her in what some saw as an effort to intimidate her. The eventual result in that election validated the theory that that taller of two candidates is preferred by voters, although it was the first time it was being tested with a female candidate in the fray.
At, 5’4″, Harris measures up to the average height of American women, as per CDC metrics. While she occasionally wears heeled footwear, Harris appears most comfortable in flat Converse sneakers — of which she has several pairs — and seems unconcerned about her height.
Trump is about six inches taller than the average height of American men, and is listed as the third tallest US President after Abraham Lincoln, who was 6’4″ and Lyndon Johnson 6′ 3 and half inches. In the modern era, George Bush sr, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama were listed at 6’2″ or thereabouts, leading to the questionable theory that Americans prefer the taller of two candidates as President although George W Bush (5′ 11 and half) defeated AL Gore and John Kerry, both taller than him.
At six foot three inches, the 190cm tall Trump will tower nearly a foot over five foot four inch (162.5 cm) Harris.But with several polls showing they at level in the Presidential race, a peevish Trump is seeking to squeeze advantage from every inch of his lumbering frame during the debate where her supporters expect a “petite” Harris to boss over a corpulent opponent.
“In my upcoming debate with Kamala Harris, there will be no boxes or artificial lifts permitted… We must ensure the American people see who we truly are, with no tricks or deception,” a petulant Trump posted on social media, recalling that his campaign had ensured similar conditions against NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg (who is 5′ 5″) in a previous presidential debate. Bloomberg had denied that he had sought a box to stand on, and fired back saying Trump “lies about everything: his fake hair, his obesity and his spray-tan.”
Trump’s suo motu demand — absent any request from the Harris campaign for height enhancement — invited ridicule on social media with some trolls suggesting, among other things, that he should have his coiffed hair cropped to reveal his true height. Others wanted him denied his make-up to reveal his “true colors” and still others wanted a weight standard instituted.
The Harris campaign ignored the MAGA man’s petty concerns, but it was Harris’s husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff’s former wife Kerstin Emhoff, who came to her defense against Trump’s tawdry concern, tweeting, “Always the nasty man. Trying to use his physicality to intimidate women.”
During the 2016 Presidential debate, Trump had crept up behind Hillary Clinton (who is half inch taller than Kamala Harris) and loomed over her in what some saw as an effort to intimidate her. The eventual result in that election validated the theory that that taller of two candidates is preferred by voters, although it was the first time it was being tested with a female candidate in the fray.
At, 5’4″, Harris measures up to the average height of American women, as per CDC metrics. While she occasionally wears heeled footwear, Harris appears most comfortable in flat Converse sneakers — of which she has several pairs — and seems unconcerned about her height.
Trump is about six inches taller than the average height of American men, and is listed as the third tallest US President after Abraham Lincoln, who was 6’4″ and Lyndon Johnson 6′ 3 and half inches. In the modern era, George Bush sr, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama were listed at 6’2″ or thereabouts, leading to the questionable theory that Americans prefer the taller of two candidates as President although George W Bush (5′ 11 and half) defeated AL Gore and John Kerry, both taller than him.
