--- title: Donald Trump Curses More Publicly Than Past Presidents description: Many American politicians have used curse words, but few have done so the way Donald Trump does. canonical: https://time.com/4978212/donald-trump-cursing-swear-words/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-10-11T19:19:02.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T17:49:13.009Z article:section: Politics og:title: Donald Trump Keeps Cursing. Here's Why It Might Help Him og:description: Research shows it could be strategic og:url: https://time.com/4978212/donald-trump-cursing-swear-words/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt32efb025e8eae073/6988e183656a3fd889bd20cd/gettyimages-851838452.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Donald Trump swearing og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Donald Trump Keeps Cursing. Here's Why It Might Help Him twitter:description: Research shows it could be strategic twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt32efb025e8eae073/6988e183656a3fd889bd20cd/gettyimages-851838452.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump Keeps Cursing. Here's Why It Might Help Him > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=63a13108-1470-455b-a87e-649f5b92368d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=63a13108-1470-455b-a87e-649f5b92368d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=63a13108-1470-455b-a87e-649f5b92368d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=63a13108-1470-455b-a87e-649f5b92368d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Oct 11, 2017 7:19 PM UTC  US President Donald Trump addresses a rally for Sen. Luther Strange (R-AL) at the Von Braun Civic Center September 22, 2017 in Huntsville, Alabama. US President Donald Trump addresses a rally for Sen. Luther Strange (R-AL) at the Von Braun Civic Center September 22, 2017 in Huntsville, Alabama. AFP Contributor—AFP/Getty Images by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Oct 11, 2017 7:19 PM UTC Many American politicians have used curse words, but few have done so the way Donald Trump does. Past presidents have been known to use indecorous language in private talks with their advisors or unguarded moments that were caught on tape, but none have made such dramatic and repeated use of curse words in public events. Speaking at a rally in Alabama in September, Trump [argued](http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/23/media/donald-trump-nfl-protest-backlash/index.html) that NFL players like former San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick who take a knee during the national anthem should be fired. “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a b—- off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!'” he said. Of course, other politicians have sworn. Vice President Joe Biden called the Affordable Care Act a [“big f—ing deal”](http://www.slate.com/articles/news%5Fand%5Fpolitics/politics/2010/03/wtf%5Fdid%5Fbiden%5Fjust%5Fsay.html) in a moment picked up by a microphone, while President George W. Bush called a reporter a [“major-league a–hole”](http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1821563%5F1821568%5F1821597,00.html) in another hot mic moment. Vice President Dick Cheney once told a Democratic senator to [“go f— yourself,”](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3699-2004Jun24.html) and presidents Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson were [notoriously profane](http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/lists/a-brief-history-of-presidential-profanity-20121210/lyndon-johnson-19691231) while talking with advisors. But those were all private moments. Trump has regularly used curse words at public events, especially on the campaign trail where he sprinkled his speeches liberally with [“damn”](https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/nation/2016/02/04/79853024/) and [“hell”](http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/14/politics/donald-trump-iran-republicans/) and even [“s—“](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-bomb-isis%5Fus%5F56454ccee4b08cda348844bf) and [“p—-.”](http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/268714-trump-calls-cruz-a-puy) In [a notorious speech](http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/04/donald-trump-vegas-profanity-speech/) in Las Vegas in 2011, he dropped the f-word repeatedly, arguing that his message to China would be ““Listen you motherf—ers, we’re going to tax you 25 percent!” Research has [shown](http://time.com/4380189/donald-trump-swearing/) that Trump’s use of swear words could be strategic, helping his image as a truthteller unafraid of being politically incorrect. To learn more about how Trump’s curse words work, watch the video above. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4978212/donald-trump-cursing-swear-words/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4978212/donald-trump-cursing-swear-words/"},"headline":"Donald Trump Keeps Cursing. Here's Why It Might Help Him","datePublished":"2017-10-11T19:19:02.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T17:49:13.009Z","description":"\"Get that son of a b---- off the field right now\"","url":"https://time.com/4978212/donald-trump-cursing-swear-words/","keywords":["Donald Trump","White House","NFL","Colin Kaepernick"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt32efb025e8eae073/6988e183656a3fd889bd20cd/gettyimages-851838452.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ryan Teague Beckwith","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt32efb025e8eae073/6988e183656a3fd889bd20cd/gettyimages-851838452.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Donald Trump swearing","caption":"US President Donald Trump addresses a rally for Sen. Luther Strange (R-AL) at the Von Braun Civic Center September 22, 2017 in Huntsville, Alabama.","creditText":"AFP Contributor—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/donald-trump/","name":"Donald Trump"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4978212/donald-trump-cursing-swear-words/","name":"Donald Trump Keeps Cursing. Here's Why It Might Help Him"}}]}] ```