Democrats' Choice of Expletives Too Bold for Our Headline
While profanity has long been a part of political discourse, it is now escalating dramatically on the left.
TroibNews 
When Rep. Jasmine Crockett responded to President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday evening, her reaction included a burst of profanity: “Somebody slap me and wake me the fuck up because I’m ready to get on with it.” Just days prior, when posed the question of what message she had for Elon Musk, she advised him to “Fuck off.”
Ken Martin, the new chair of the Democratic National Committee, took a different route, opting for a more Midwestern tone: “Go to hell,” he declared, later elaborating on X: “I said what I said.” In conjunction, Senate Democrats released coordinated social media videos debunking Trump’s claims, collectively labeling them as "shit that ain't true."
In the early weeks of Trump’s second term, Democrats have shifted from one strategy to the next in their attempts to confront him, often struggling to find an effective approach. However, a common thread uniting their efforts to connect with American voters has been a turn towards profanity.
Democrats are certainly making headlines for their use of strong language.
“Goddamn it, tell me who started that?” queried Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a known advocate for unfiltered speech.
Swearing in politics is not a novel concept. Among operatives, leaders, and journalists, it has long been a means to foster camaraderie and connection. It’s also not new for the Democratic Party, particularly in their reactions to Trump: Former DNC Chair Tom Perez often employed explicit language in 2017, stating, for example, that Trump didn’t “give a shit about health care.”
Yet the current prevalence of cursing among Democrats is unmistakable, reflecting a push for authenticity as they navigate their connection with an agitated electorate.
Recently, Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona expressed a desire for the “intern” at the National Republican Campaign Congressional Committee responsible for posting “racist shit” on X to be fired. In analyzing the state of Trump’s America, Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii remarked that while “the stock market is down, at least everything is more expensive and services are getting shittier.”
As noted by the late Andrew Breitbart, culture shapes politics. Linguistically, Democrats find themselves in a challenging position.
Trump has capitalized on strong language in his return to the political stage, a trend that resonates with some Democrats for whom such language is second nature. Gallego noted, “I mean, I was swearing before Trump, so I can't really blame it on him. I'm gonna blame it more on being in the Marines for as long as I was.”
Now, Democrats are attempting to harness their candid expressions in a manner that resonates with a restless and often coarse populace.
“Some of it is genuine, some of it is people trying to seem faux-edgy authentic,” explained Lis Smith, a Democratic adviser known for her colorful language, which played a role in earning Amazon’s documentary on Pete Buttigieg an “R” rating due to its explicit content. “If the first time you’ve used a cuss word in public is reading off a script, it’s probably not authentic and not something you should do.”
The strategy has also permeated the party's approach to social media. Following the release of the "shit that ain't true" videos, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer produced his own segment “breaking down the BS Trump told” during his joint address.
However, the effectiveness of this approach remains in question. During a rally with federal workers last month organized by the American Federation of Government Employees, the clamorous atmosphere reflected the strong language present.
“I don’t swear in public very well, but we have to fuck Trump,” stated Rep. Maxine Dexter, humorously adding, “Please don’t tell my children that I just did that.”
Her somewhat awkward phrasing drew mockery rather than applause.
“The key to doing it and doing it well is that you can’t overdo it and you can’t force it,” remarked Caitlin Legacki, a Democratic campaign veteran. “If elected officials are going to cuss, they have to mean it. If it’s authentic to who they are and how they’re feeling, voters will probably be fine with it and even relate to it. But if it’s not authentic, there’s nothing more cringeworthy.”
There’s a deeper motivation behind the Democrats’ use of strong language—a reflection of their increasingly unsettled base.
“We're driven by the same things most people are — like anger at honest folks being denied a fair shot – and we need to prove it by showing fight,” said Andrew Bates, who previously worked with the famously blunt Joe Biden. “One way to do that is to call out that Trump's whole campaign was about lower costs right away – his words – but now he's raising those costs with tariffs that will fund a tax handout for the rich; and yes, that is bullshit and it shows his true colors and we should be eager to say it."
Democrats are aware that their party’s messaging cannot rely solely on strong language.
“In this existential moment, the Democratic base does want to see their leaders fighting back. But at the end of the day, that means successful legislative and legal maneuvers — not just the occasional f-bomb on a podcast,” said one Democratic speechwriter, who requested anonymity to discuss the party’s rhetoric.
This individual acknowledged the “mad as hell” sentiment within the party, adding, “Some of it is an expression of authentic outrage at Trump smashing Democratic norms and institutions. Some of it is that — between Trump and his acolytes — the bar has been lowered on how we expect public officials to comport themselves.”
More fundamentally, some Democrats perceive a core moral issue with the use of profanity in public discourse.
“Democrats who think that vulgarity and dehumanization are reliable, appropriate or beneficial ways to advance their political interests profoundly misunderstand what has happened in our politics and what is required in this moment,” asserted Michael Wear, former faith outreach adviser to Barack Obama and the founder of the Center for Christianity and Public Life. “These are not tools that can be used in the service of any political goals. These things promote the very distrust, estrangement and animosity which is the fuel for the reckless, antagonistic politics Democrats — and all of us — ought to reject.”
Crockett’s explicit comments garnered some notice back in her district. On Thursday, she mentioned at the Capitol that congregants had contacted her church’s pastor to “tattle” on her.
For now, she stands by her words, emphasizing that her response was “real” and indicative of her frustration with both Trump and Musk’s actions.
“Like I have a potty mouth, especially when I'm mad,” she said. “We're working on it. We're going to pray about it.”
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
Ken Martin, the new chair of the Democratic National Committee, took a different route, opting for a more Midwestern tone: “Go to hell,” he declared, later elaborating on X: “I said what I said.” In conjunction, Senate Democrats released coordinated social media videos debunking Trump’s claims, collectively labeling them as "shit that ain't true."
In the early weeks of Trump’s second term, Democrats have shifted from one strategy to the next in their attempts to confront him, often struggling to find an effective approach. However, a common thread uniting their efforts to connect with American voters has been a turn towards profanity.
Democrats are certainly making headlines for their use of strong language.
“Goddamn it, tell me who started that?” queried Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a known advocate for unfiltered speech.
Swearing in politics is not a novel concept. Among operatives, leaders, and journalists, it has long been a means to foster camaraderie and connection. It’s also not new for the Democratic Party, particularly in their reactions to Trump: Former DNC Chair Tom Perez often employed explicit language in 2017, stating, for example, that Trump didn’t “give a shit about health care.”
Yet the current prevalence of cursing among Democrats is unmistakable, reflecting a push for authenticity as they navigate their connection with an agitated electorate.
Recently, Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona expressed a desire for the “intern” at the National Republican Campaign Congressional Committee responsible for posting “racist shit” on X to be fired. In analyzing the state of Trump’s America, Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii remarked that while “the stock market is down, at least everything is more expensive and services are getting shittier.”
As noted by the late Andrew Breitbart, culture shapes politics. Linguistically, Democrats find themselves in a challenging position.
Trump has capitalized on strong language in his return to the political stage, a trend that resonates with some Democrats for whom such language is second nature. Gallego noted, “I mean, I was swearing before Trump, so I can't really blame it on him. I'm gonna blame it more on being in the Marines for as long as I was.”
Now, Democrats are attempting to harness their candid expressions in a manner that resonates with a restless and often coarse populace.
“Some of it is genuine, some of it is people trying to seem faux-edgy authentic,” explained Lis Smith, a Democratic adviser known for her colorful language, which played a role in earning Amazon’s documentary on Pete Buttigieg an “R” rating due to its explicit content. “If the first time you’ve used a cuss word in public is reading off a script, it’s probably not authentic and not something you should do.”
The strategy has also permeated the party's approach to social media. Following the release of the "shit that ain't true" videos, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer produced his own segment “breaking down the BS Trump told” during his joint address.
However, the effectiveness of this approach remains in question. During a rally with federal workers last month organized by the American Federation of Government Employees, the clamorous atmosphere reflected the strong language present.
“I don’t swear in public very well, but we have to fuck Trump,” stated Rep. Maxine Dexter, humorously adding, “Please don’t tell my children that I just did that.”
Her somewhat awkward phrasing drew mockery rather than applause.
“The key to doing it and doing it well is that you can’t overdo it and you can’t force it,” remarked Caitlin Legacki, a Democratic campaign veteran. “If elected officials are going to cuss, they have to mean it. If it’s authentic to who they are and how they’re feeling, voters will probably be fine with it and even relate to it. But if it’s not authentic, there’s nothing more cringeworthy.”
There’s a deeper motivation behind the Democrats’ use of strong language—a reflection of their increasingly unsettled base.
“We're driven by the same things most people are — like anger at honest folks being denied a fair shot – and we need to prove it by showing fight,” said Andrew Bates, who previously worked with the famously blunt Joe Biden. “One way to do that is to call out that Trump's whole campaign was about lower costs right away – his words – but now he's raising those costs with tariffs that will fund a tax handout for the rich; and yes, that is bullshit and it shows his true colors and we should be eager to say it."
Democrats are aware that their party’s messaging cannot rely solely on strong language.
“In this existential moment, the Democratic base does want to see their leaders fighting back. But at the end of the day, that means successful legislative and legal maneuvers — not just the occasional f-bomb on a podcast,” said one Democratic speechwriter, who requested anonymity to discuss the party’s rhetoric.
This individual acknowledged the “mad as hell” sentiment within the party, adding, “Some of it is an expression of authentic outrage at Trump smashing Democratic norms and institutions. Some of it is that — between Trump and his acolytes — the bar has been lowered on how we expect public officials to comport themselves.”
More fundamentally, some Democrats perceive a core moral issue with the use of profanity in public discourse.
“Democrats who think that vulgarity and dehumanization are reliable, appropriate or beneficial ways to advance their political interests profoundly misunderstand what has happened in our politics and what is required in this moment,” asserted Michael Wear, former faith outreach adviser to Barack Obama and the founder of the Center for Christianity and Public Life. “These are not tools that can be used in the service of any political goals. These things promote the very distrust, estrangement and animosity which is the fuel for the reckless, antagonistic politics Democrats — and all of us — ought to reject.”
Crockett’s explicit comments garnered some notice back in her district. On Thursday, she mentioned at the Capitol that congregants had contacted her church’s pastor to “tattle” on her.
For now, she stands by her words, emphasizing that her response was “real” and indicative of her frustration with both Trump and Musk’s actions.
“Like I have a potty mouth, especially when I'm mad,” she said. “We're working on it. We're going to pray about it.”
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
