RUSH: All right, so here’s the story on Trump’s remark to the French first lady. It’s from the Reuters News Agency (they just despise Trump) and the headline is: “Australian Foreign Minister Criticizes Trump’s Remark to French First Lady — Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Sunday criticized comments by U.S. President Donald Trump on French first lady Brigitte Macron’s appearance. ‘You’re in such good shape,’ Trump was filmed on Thursday telling her during his first state visit to France.”

Okay, now, what in the world is…? I mean, what is so wrong with, “You’re in such good shape”? What if she had said that to him? That would have been a compliment, right? “You’re in such good shape!” Anybody who understands anything knows what Trump was doing. The fact that there is so much hand-wringing and vapors and gnashing of teeth over this is a terrific illustration of what is happening to our culture and how it is veering off track and is resulting in vast limitations of free speech. That’s what this is designed to do is to shut down any kind of speech that anybody — it can be one person — finds offensive.

Julie Bishop, the Australian foreign minister “told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, when asked whether she would be flattered or offended if the comment were directed at her. ‘I’d be taken aback, I think. It’s a rather interesting comment to make,’ she said.” It has been sexist to comment on a woman’s appearance since the late sixties, and certainly since the early seventies. It has been chauvinistic and sexist. It has been discriminatory. It has been insulting to comment on a woman’s appearance. Do not doubt me.

I came of age during this era. I have been figuratively slapped for making such observations. Such observations were, of course, an insult to the woman’s mind if you commented on her physical appearance or some such thing. Never mind women spend all this time making themselves look attractive and then you notice it and you’re in trouble. But as I said, I know what Trump is doing. The woman is 64; her husband is 39. In Realville, that’s unusual. (interruption) Wouldn’t you have to agree? Don’t…? (interruption) Am I even wrong about this? Don’t…? (interruption)

Am I wrong about…? (interruption) They… (interruption) No. (sigh) No, no. No, no. (interruption) You’re confusing coyotes with… (interruption) No. No, no, no. This Brigitte is not a coyote. You’re getting your things mixed up there. Don’t make me explain this. I’ll have no hope the rest of the day if you make me straighten this one out. What you’re thinking of “coyote ugly,” and that’s a whole different thing. That’s not what this is. Ugly is not… (interruption) That’s what Trump was saying. She looks good, good shape. Look, he goes over there knowing this guy’s 39 and his wife is 64. What do you think…? (interruption) Well…

(interruption) Oh, you might think she’s a cougar. But in whatever world Trump lives in, that’s unusual. You don’t run across that very often. And Trump, I am sure, was trying to be complimentary in his own way that nobody understands. Nobody really understands manners and humility and thoughtfulness, awareness, and when you start talking situational awareness? It is dumbfounding to me how so many people have zip, zero, nada situational awareness. It’s almost akin to having no curiosity, not being able to critically think to not having situational awareness.

Trump does, and for some reason he thought… I guarantee you he thought he was being complimentary. But everybody thinks Trump was purposely trying to be insulting or was insulting without knowing because he’s such a pig. And so no benefit of the doubt exists here, and that’s what this is about.

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RUSH: We start with Rhonda in Smithville, Tennessee. Glad you called. You’re up first today. How are you?

CALLER: I am just great. I’m thrilled to talk to you. I can’t believe I got through.

RUSH: Thank you. I’m glad to hear from you.

CALLER: Well, I had a comment about Trump’s comment on Madame Macron. It struck me, it was like when you’re out walking your dog in the neighborhood and somebody else is walking their dog. And they look at you, they stop and talk and chat and say, “Gosh, you’ve got a beautiful dog there. How do you keep them in such good shape?”

RUSH: What? Wait a minute, Rhonda — (crosstalk)

CALLER: — overlook it.

RUSH: Rhonda?

CALLER: What?

RUSH: Help me Rhonda, help me Rhonda. Tell me something. I have never heard anybody say about any of my animals, “Man, that dog’s in good shape.”

CALLER: Well —

RUSH: I’ve never heard that.

CALLER: Well, when you say that to a woman and then you look at her husband and say, “Beautiful. Beautiful.” Or whatever he said, it’s —

RUSH: Wait a minute.

CALLER: Like you’re looking at the man —

RUSH: Wait. Let me understand what you think happened. He looks at her and says, “You’re in great shape” or something like that, and he turns to the husband and says, “Beautiful. Beautiful.” That’s what happened?

CALLER: That’s what I heard happened. Yes.

RUSH: And this is a problem?

CALLER: This makes me feel like Trump — and this is the first time I’ve ever got this feeling from his off-the-wall comments. But that he treats women more as possessions, not, you know, that they are property rather than that they could own property, that they are unto themselves.

RUSH: I don’t think Trump wants to own Madame Macron.

CALLER: Well, not her, but he feels like she is the possession of the president and not unto herself. Otherwise what would have happened —

RUSH: What should he have said?

CALLER: — in coupledom, I would have rather seen him say, “My wife Melania and I were talking and we thought, you are in such great shape. We think you look beautiful.” That would have been more of a proper thing. I mean, the whole thing is kind of out of whack.

RUSH: See, I’m glad you called because that to me seems very odd.

CALLER: Really?

RUSH: For Trump say, “My wife and I have been looking at you, and, you know what? You’re in great shape. We think you’re beautiful,” as though nobody else might, but we do.

CALLER: Well, otherwise it sounds more like a come-on. I mean, he just sort of out of the blue — you know, they’re standing — where was it, Napoleon’s tomb or —

RUSH: Have you ever been there? Have you ever seen Napoleon’s casket?

CALLER: Yes.

RUSH: You can get the iron throne from Game of Thrones and five other bodies inside it. I have been there. It is the hugest casket I have ever seen.

CALLER: Yes. All that aside —

RUSH: You have seen that?

CALLER: — I think it’s an odd place to say something —

RUSH: All right.

CALLER: — to somebody and then to turn to their husband —

RUSH: Rhonda, I don’t mean to be rude, I’m way long. I’ve gotta go, but I will keep talking about this. Thank you very much for calling. We’ll be back. Take it away. Take it away here.

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RUSH: Look, Emile, Emmanuel, Fred, Macro, whatever his name, he met his wife when he was 15. She was his teacher! His parents told her to back off until he turned 18. She’s the only woman that he’s known. Nothing wrong with that. Don’t jump on me.