Nicknames & Insults
86 documented nicknames and insults used by Trump against political opponents, allies, media, and institutions. Presidential language has consequences.
Why Track This?
No previous president has routinely used schoolyard insults and demeaning nicknames for political opponents, allies, journalists, and even his own appointees. This behavior normalizes bullying at the highest level of government, debases political discourse, and has real consequences — targets have received death threats. Calling the free press “Enemy of the People” echoes the language of dictators.
Trump Turns On People
See the praise-to-attack pipeline — side-by-side quotes showing how “fantastic” becomes “dumb as a rock.”
Special Section — Misogyny & Mistreatment of Women
Trump is widely known for petty, immature name-calling and insults — much of it captured on this page. His attacks on women, however, deserve to be singled out. They're not just rude or juvenile; they're viciously personal, span four decades, and are backed by two civil verdicts (~$88.3M to E. Jean Carroll), the 2005 Access Hollywood “grab them” tape, two decades of Howard Stern radio archives, and more than two dozen named accusers. The misogyny content is presented in its own dedicated view because of just how extensive — and how vicious — the documented record is.
Georgia gubernatorial candidate mocked for her weight
CNN reporter whose White House press pass was revoked after a confrontation
His own AG who said there was no election fraud. Called him a 'gutless pig' after Barr confirmed Biden won
2020 campaign onward. Switched to 'Crooked Joe' in 2023 after Biden's DOJ indicted him
2020 Democratic primary candidate, mocked for his height
His own National Security Advisor who later wrote a tell-all book
Manhattan DA who brought criminal charges. Mocked his weight and called him an 'animal'
Morning Joe host. Trump tweeted she was 'bleeding badly from a face-lift' — widely condemned as misogynistic
Jun 2017 tweet: 'low I.Q. Crazy Mika' was 'bleeding badly from a face-lift' when she visited Mar-a-Lago. Combined intelligence insults with mocking a woman's appearance and cosmetic procedures
2016 Republican primary rival. One of Trump's most effective political attacks
Insulted the deceased former president
Compared the 2020 Democratic candidate to the Mad Magazine mascot
Woman a jury found Trump sexually abused. He was ordered to pay $83.3M for defamation
After journalist E. Jean Carroll accused him of rape in a department store dressing room. Trump's defense was essentially 'She's not my type.' A jury found he sexually abused her and ordered him to pay $83.3M for defamation
Republican who voted to impeach him and served on Jan 6 committee. Called for her to be prosecuted
2024 primary rival, former ally. Repeatedly mocked his weight at rallies
When Nicknames Weren't Enough: Mocking a Disabled Reporter
Trump's cruelty isn't limited to words. In November 2015, at a rally in South Carolina, Donald Trump physically mocked New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski, who has arthrogryposis — a congenital condition that limits the movement of his joints. Trump flailed his arms and contorted his body in an exaggerated imitation while the crowd laughed.
Why This Matters
- •He knew Kovaleski personally. Trump and Kovaleski had interacted multiple times over the years. Trump knew about his disability — this wasn't ignorance, it was deliberate cruelty.
- •He did it to discredit reporting. Kovaleski had written articles that contradicted Trump's false claims about thousands of Muslims celebrating 9/11 in New Jersey. Rather than address the facts, Trump attacked the messenger's disability.
- •He denied it despite video evidence. Trump claimed he had never met Kovaleski and “would never mock a person's disability.” The video evidence is unambiguous. This became one of the earliest examples of the “believe me, not your eyes” pattern that would define his presidency.
- •A presidential candidate mocking disability should have been disqualifying. In any previous era, this alone would have ended a candidacy. That it didn't signaled a fundamental shift in what American politics would tolerate.
Video: CNN
“You gotta see this guy” — Trump said before flailing his arms to mock Kovaleski's disability. This wasn't a policy disagreement. This wasn't political combat. This was a man who wanted to be president choosing to entertain a crowd by ridiculing a person's physical disability.
🤔 Author's take: The characterization of Trump's actions as “deliberate cruelty” and the statement that “in any previous era, this alone would have ended a candidacy” are editorial judgments. The video evidence of the incident is publicly available and verifiable, and Kovaleski's condition (arthrogryposis) is documented. The moral assessment of the behavior is the author's interpretation — readers can view the video and draw their own conclusions.