Key facts
- Donald Trump has used profanity in public remarks and social media posts.
- Trump used the phrase "They don’t know what they fuck they’re doing" in June 2025.
- Trump posted "Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH" on Truth Social in April.
- US Vice President JD Vance has used the word "shit" in speeches and on social media.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used scatological terms to deride military practices.
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told ICE agents to "get the fuck out" of the city.
Donald Trump has increasingly used profanity in public remarks and social media posts, a trend that academics say is redefining acceptable language for a US president. This shift, they argue, is driven by a desire for authenticity in an era of declining political trust and polarized discourse.
Cheryl Johnson, a retired social worker, expressed dismay at the prevalence of swearing in politics, stating that past presidents did not use such language and that it signifies a decline in respect. Trump, who has been criticized for coarsening public discourse during his first presidency, has notably used words previously unheard from a US president in public.
In June 2025, Trump profanely condemned Israel and Iran for continuing hostilities, telling reporters, “They don’t know what they fuck they’re doing.” He later used similar language when discussing Venezuela’s then-president Nicolas Maduro in October 2025, saying, “He’s offered everything... Because he doesn’t want to fuck around with the United States.” In April, he posted on Truth Social, “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH,” following a decision to launch a US-Israel war on Iran.
Michael Adams, a professor of English language at Indiana University Bloomington, noted that Trump’s swearing can be seen as part of an emphatic diplomatic persona and a projection of unpredictability. While Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon were also known for using profanity, it was primarily in private and only revealed posthumously. George W. Bush, in contrast, expressed regret in 2000 after being overheard using the term "asshole" to describe a journalist.
Joseph Phillips, an American politics professor at Trinity College Dublin, suggests that politicians are using profanity to appear authentic and relatable in an era of low public trust in the profession. He argues that the incentive for politicians is to ensure their own election or re-election, even at the cost of broader institutional esteem.
Other politicians have followed Trump’s lead. US Vice President JD Vance has commonly used the word "shit" to criticize opponents. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has used similar terms to deride practices he considers "woke." Democrats have also embraced vulgarity; Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told ICE agents to "get the fuck out" of the city, and Senator Tammy Duckworth stated she was "tired of fixing shit that Republicans break" and declared, "Fuck that shit."
Adams described this trend as politicians seeking "covert prestige" and a "devil-may-care attitude" that can attract voters who may question the relatability of politicians who never swear. Benjamin Bergen, a professor of cognitive science, suggested that the polarized political climate fuels this heated language, and that norms are changing, potentially leading to more unthinkable profanities in future presidential addresses.