Commentary: Swearing as a campaign strategy
by Benjamin Bergen, Los Angeles Times
Sep 17, 2019
4 minutes
Politicians have a long history of swearing. Surreptitious recordings of the White House during the Johnson and Nixon administrations in the 1960s and '70s document extensive presidential profanity. Andrew Jackson reportedly swore so much that his pet parrot started imitating him, to the point that it had to be removed from Jackson's funeral. But for the most part, politician profanity has been either fleeting or shuttered behind closed doors - until recently.
Over the last several years, we've seen a substantial uptick in public political profanity. As a candidate, Donald Trump's early stump speeches were often punctuated by
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days