Why does Donald the Doofus Trump call those he perceives as political enemies by offensive nick names? It makes any dialogue with these people, Republicans or Democrats, less serious, as if they were engaged in the playground. One wonders whether he behaved the same way when he was applying for a bank loan, or was involved with investors in a building project. If he did, it is unlikely that he would have gotten very far in business, though in retrospect it appears that he did not get very far and may have been guilty of illicit behavior. If he had been completely on the up and up, with nothing to hide, he would have revealed his taxes which he is still trying to keep hidden.
It is not only members of the opposing party that he taunts with nicknames, but those of his own party, some of whom have been hurt by his labels. Marco Rubio was “Little Marco” with the implication that his genitals were deficient. Ted Cruz became “Lying Ted” on the campaign trail and Trump even compared his own wife Melania to Cruz’ wife Heidi as far as looks. Jeb Bush was called “Low Energy Jeb.” Senator Bob Corker, a Republican who stood up to Trump was referred to as “Liddle” Bob Corker. Not only were these names hurtful but they could have damaged his own party members in political races against the Democrats. But Trump didn’t care. Like a school bully, he wanted to show the world that he was top dog. In fact, his one time buddy Steve Bannon became “Sloppy Steve” after he stopped working for Trump.
His nicknames for Democrats were also demeaning and one wonders why they would want to work with him in constructing legislation. Elizabeth Warren was labeled “Pocahontas” by Trump who then changed it to “Goofy.” The Pocahontas might have originated from her claims that she had some Indian heritage. Bernie Sanders was described by the moniker “Crazy Bernie,” when Trump has really been the person who has been acting crazy. Joe Biden has been depicted by Trump as “Creepy” and “Sleepy” and “One Percent” though he has been vice-President and may be Trump’s next opponent for president. Hillary Clinton is referred to as “Crooked Hillary” which gets a response from Trump’s base of “Lock Her Up.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is called “Cryin Chuck” by Trump. Nancy Pelosi who has bested Trump on more than one occasion has been labeled “Nasty Nancy” and “Nervous Nancy” probably depending on Trump’s mood at the moment.
Anyone or anything he views as an opponent he coins a nickname for, to try and lower their standing in the public eye and makes him seem more powerful than his opponents. This includes newspapers like the New York Times and the Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC and a whole list of journalists and commentators. He also has nicknames for some foreign leaders like “Rocket Man” for Kim Jung Un. Trump also describes his opponents as dumb, low IQ, and weak.
The names that Trump uses for other people shows how insecure he feels compared to them and makes him momentarily feel superior. However, he is not a smart man though he’s a natural politician with an ear for the voters. If he were smart, he wouldn’t have threatened to sue any institution that released his SAT scores, his class standing in college, or his grades. His attention span is also minimal, he doesn’t read his daily briefings, and in fact probably doesn’t read at all. On the other hand, he is content watching television for hours, particularly Fox News which has good things to say about him.
Trump’s nicknames for opponents during the election campaign were a substitute for policy discussions which he never seemed to master. The president is a bully and braggart and his use of nicknames gets him attention from his base. However, being in the White House is not the same as being in the playground, or in New York real estate. Trump needs to stop using nicknames and to start acting more presidential to get respect and perhaps increase his approval ratings. Is that possible?
Resurrecting Democracy
www.robertlevinebooks.com
Political junkie, Vietnam vet, neurologist- three books on aging and dementia. Book on health care reform in 2009- Shock Therapy for the American Health Care System. Book on the need for a centrist third party- Resurrecting Democracy- A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party published in 2011. Aging Wisely, published in August 2014 by Rowman and Littlefield. Latest book- The Uninformed Voter published May 2020