President Donald Trump's recurring habit of publicly complimenting the bodies of male politicians has become a fixture of his campaign rallies, emerging as a strange distraction for a Republican Party working to win over voters as numerous polls predict a wipeout.

In an analysis published in The Guardian on Friday, reporter Adam Gabbatt examined how Trump's speeches have repeatedly drifted from prepared political talking points into detailed assessments of Republican candidates' physical appearances. The pattern has surfaced as candidates question whether the president's endorsement helps or hurts their campaigns — and as the party works to defend control of Congress in the midterm elections, when every House seat and roughly one-third of Senate seats are on the ballot.

One example that drew widespread attention came at an October 12 rally in Youngstown, Ohio, where Trump said he studied the body of Republican Sen. Jon Husted after learning that he had played college football.

"I don't do this with men very often. I started examining his body, because I didn't know he was a great athlete," Trump told supporters.

The president then described how he examined Husted's backside and hands before praising him as a talented athlete.

Five days later, Trump continued praising Husted's backside in even greater detail, even though the Senate candidate was not present at the time.

"I examined his a--," Trump told the crowd, before describing the senator's shoulders, feet, jawline, and hands.

Gabbatt's analysis also pointed to other moments in the campaign when Trump went off script to discuss men's looks. At an October 16 appearance in Georgia, Trump praised the appearance of Republican challenger Mike Collins while belittling his opponent, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.

"Somebody said he's a good-looking man. I don't think he's a good-looking man," Trump said of Ossoff. "I actually think Mike Collins is a good-looking man, and he's all man. All man. I'm not sure about Ossoff."

In Kentucky, Trump complimented Republican Ed Gallrein, who is challenging Rep. Thomas Massie, describing him as a "beautiful guy."

The frequent praise of men's looks has become fodder for media commentary. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper mocked the president with the nickname "a--man-in-chief," while Fox News host Jesse Watters offered a qualified defense of the rhetoric.

"Sometimes it sounds a little gay. But he can get away with it because he's straight," Watters said.

According to Gabbatt, the off-script rants about men's looks are creating a problem for the GOP, with Trump spending valuable campaign time that could instead be devoted to persuading voters to back his candidates. He questioned whether the president is serving his own interests rather than strategically promoting candidates who are unlikely to win votes on the basis of their looks.

It remains to be seen whether Trump's rallies are swinging voters toward the GOP, but Gabbatt suggested that the president's fixation is unlikely to improve the party's prospects of keeping its majority in Congress. With Election Day approaching in a campaign where polls have predicted a wipeout, the closing stretch will show whether that polling picture holds — and whether Trump's rally appearances stay on their current off-script course.