On Tuesday, June 24, Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to intentionally use the F-word during a live televised press conference. Responding to reports that Iran violated a newly brokered ceasefire with Israel just hours after it was announced, Trump told reporters that the two countries “have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing.”
While Trump is the first president to publicly drop the F-bomb in a live press event, he’s far from the first American leader to use profanity. His history of controversial language continues a long tradition of presidents caught cursing on or off the record.
For instance, in January 2022, President Joe Biden was overheard on a hot mic calling Fox News reporter Peter Doocy a “stupid son of a b****” after being asked about inflation’s political impact. Biden later apologized to Doocy directly.
As vice president in 2010, Biden famously whispered to President Obama during the signing of the Affordable Care Act: “This is a big f***ing deal.”
President Barack Obama also had his moments: in 2009, he called Kanye West a “jacka**” after the rapper interrupted Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards. In a 2012 Rolling Stone interview, Obama described Mitt Romney as a “bulls***er.” Reflecting on his language, Obama once admitted, “I probably curse more than I should, especially after I became president.”
Though such candid language might seem like a recent phenomenon, historians note that presidential cursing goes way back. Even Abraham Lincoln was reportedly known for using colorful language in private.
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