President Trump changed standards of public language in the US — The Guardian
In the United States, President Donald Trump is increasingly using profanity in public speeches and social media posts, changing established language norms for American presidents. The Guardian World reports.
In June 2025, Trump used profanity when speaking about Israel and Iran, which continued shelling after an expected cessation of hostilities at the end of the 12-day war. In October of the same year, he used an expletive while speaking about Venezuela’s then-president Nicolás Maduro. In April, Trump also used coarse language in a Truth Social post addressed to Tehran after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
From private conversations to public statements
Michael Adams, a professor of English at Indiana University Bloomington, believes that Trump does not have a strong sense of etiquette. In his view, profanity is part of the presidential image that emphasizes the head of state’s unpredictability and disregard for traditional norms.
Previous US presidents, including Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, also used profanity, but this occurred in private conversations. Their remarks became known after audio recordings were released following the end of their presidential terms. During the Watergate scandal, the White House published heavily edited transcripts of Nixon’s recordings with a recurring notation indicating that an expletive had been removed.
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By comparison, George W. Bush expressed regret in 2000 after an open microphone captured his crude characterization of a New York Times journalist. At the time, Bush was campaigning on a promise to restore civility to politics.
Seeking closeness with voters
Joseph Phillips, a professor of American politics at Trinity College Dublin, links the spread of profanity among politicians to declining public trust in the political profession. According to him, coarse language can help politicians appear closer to ordinary voters.
According to the publication, representatives of both American parties use profane expressions. Vice President J.D. Vance has used coarse language in speeches and on social media, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used it to criticize previous practices in the military. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois have also resorted to such rhetoric.
Benjamin Bergen, a professor of cognitive science at the University of California, San Diego, explained this trend by the sharp political polarization in the United States. He suggested that changing language norms could eventually affect even presidential inaugural addresses, State of the Union speeches, or addresses at the UN.
