WTF? Embracing profanity is one thing both political parties seem to agree on

WASHINGTON (AP) — As he shook President Barack Obama’s hand and pulled him up for what he considered private, Vice President Joe Biden delivered a clear message: “This is a big f—– deal.” The remarks, heard on a live microphone at a ceremony for the Affordable Care Act of 2010, caused a sensation because open disparagement from a national leader was unusual at the time.

More than 15 years later, pornography is now in vogue.

President Donald Trump used the slur at least four times during a political rally in Pennsylvania on Tuesday night aimed at focusing attention on controlling inflation. At one point, he admitted to disparaging Haiti and African nations as “shithole countries” in a private 2018 meeting, a comment he denied at the time. And in front of a bank of cameras during a long Cabinet meeting last week, the Republican president referred to alleged drug traffickers as “sons of b—s.”

While the Biden incident was accidental, the frequency, sharpness and public nature of Trump’s comments are deliberate. They build their project to combat what they see as widespread political correctness. The leaders of both the parties seem to be in a verbal race now.

Vice President J.D. Vance called the podcast host “Deeps-T” in September. In Thanksgiving remarks to the troops, Vance joked that anyone who liked him turkey was full of “s–.” After a National Guard member was shot dead and a second seriously injured in Washington last month, top Trump aide Steven Cheung took to social media to tell reporters to “shut up” when he wrote that the military deployment in the nation’s capital was “for political demonstration.”

Among Democrats, former Vice President Kamala Harris earned roars of approval from her audience in September when she denounced the Trump administration, saying “these mothers are —- crazy.” After Trump last month called for the death penalty for several Democratic members of Congress, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said it was time for influential people to “pick an off—side.” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the administration could not “f—around” with the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Announcing his Senate campaign Monday in Texas, Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett didn’t hold back when asked earlier this year what she would say to Elon Musk if given the chance: “F–off.”

The vale of profanity always underscores the deeply political atmosphere that often plays out on social media or other digital platforms where posts or video clips that evoke the strongest emotions are rewarded with the most engagement.

“If you want to be angry at somebody, be angry at the social media companies,” Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Tuesday night at the Washington National Cathedral, where he spoke at an event focused on political civility. “It’s not a fair fight. They’ve hijacked our brains. They understand these dopamine hits. Outrage sells.”

Cox’s national profile rose after she called for citizenship following the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in her state, which led to an overhaul of social media laws to protect children. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the state law.

Strong political talk is not new

Tough talk is nothing new in politics, but leaders have long avoided throwing it away.

For example, Democrat Lyndon B. Recordings from Johnson’s administration revealed an impure, profane side of his personality that had been largely kept secret. Republican Richard Nixon lamented the fact that foul language used in the Oval Office was caught on tape. Nixon wrote in his book “In the Arena,” “Millions of people were shocked because I and most other presidents did not use profanity in public.”

“Politicians have always sworn, behind closed doors,” said Benjamin Bergen, a professor in the cognitive sciences department at the University of California-San Diego and author of “What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Minds and Ourselves.” “The big change is in the last 10 years or so, it’s become more public.”

As both parties prepare for the 2026 midterm elections and 2028 presidential campaign, the question is whether the language will become increasingly mainstream. Republicans who simply try to copy Trump’s flamboyant style don’t always succeed with voters. Democrats who turn to profanity risk looking inauthentic if their words feel forced.

For some, it’s just a distraction.

“It’s not necessary,” said GOP Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who is retiring next year after winning five elections in one of the most competitive House districts. “If that’s what it takes to get your point across, you’re not a good communicator.”

There is a risk of overuse of profanity

There is also the risk that if such language is overused, its usefulness as a way to shock and engage audiences may be dulled. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has spoken about this problem, noting that he used swear words in his early routines but dropped them as his career progressed because he felt that profanity only produced cheap laughs.

“I felt like I was laughing because I said f—- there,” he said in a 2020 interview on the WTF podcast with fellow comedian Marc Maron. “You didn’t find gold.”

White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said Trump “doesn’t care about being politically correct, he cares about making America great again. The American people love how authentic, transparent and effective the president is.”

But for Trump, the most controversial words often focus less on traditional profanity that could be interpreted as hurtful. The final weeks of his 2016 campaign were rocked when tapes surfaced of him discussing grabbing women by their privates, language he dismissed as “locker room talk.” In 2018 his “shithole” comments were widely condemned as racist.

Recently, Trump called a female reporter a “piggy” in remarks that his press secretary, Carolyn Levitt, defended as evidence of a “very forthright and honest” president. Trump’s use of a slur about people with disabilities prompted an Indiana Republican whose child has Down syndrome to come out in protest against the president’s push to redraw the state’s congressional districts.

On rare occasions, politicians express regret for their choice of words. In an interview with The Atlantic published last week, Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pa., dismissed the portrayal of Harris in his book about last year’s presidential campaign, saying he was “trying to sell books and cover for him.”

He seemed to catch himself quickly.

“I shouldn’t have said ‘cover her,'” he said. “I don’t think it’s appropriate.”