This is sticky territory for journalists – as we peer out from our glass houses and throw stones.
On the use of profanity, The i Paper’s style guide is clear: “Swearwords offend many people and lose us readers. Never use swearwords unquoted in news copy, and keep them to a minimum in features, reviews, etc.
And even if they are in the body text of a story, swearwords in headlines should be avoided unless they are absolutely the point of the story.”
What, then, should we do about reporting on a US President who loves expletives?
Today brings the starkest example so far. Exasperated by Israel and Iran – who have dared to defy his ceasefire – Donald Trump fumed on camera: “They don’t know what the f**k they’re doing!”
Such vulgarity is intentional. He felt genuinely dismayed, after discovering that announcing a ceasefire on social media (unilaterally) does not immediately translate to real life.
His reputation as a dealmaker is at stake. This was an authentic response to the strains of office.
But his swearing is also calculated and frequent. It escalated during the election campaign.
For supporters it humanises him: many people swear, after all. And it shows him flouting political correctness, doing no (further) damage to his credibility.
So while it’s not very presidential behaviour, there is precedent for potty mouths in the Oval Office.
Trump’s sweariest predecessor was probably Lyndon B Johnson. In 1965 he purportedly told the Greek ambassador during a discussion about Cyprus: “F**k your parliament and your constitution.
America is an elephant. Cyprus is a flea. Greece is a flea. If these two fellows continue itching the elephant, they may just get whacked by the elephant’s trunk.” Pity the aides taking minutes.
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