Why profanity is having a f*cking moment

Politicians are increasingly using profanity as a deliberate strategy to project authenticity and distance themselves from traditional Washington norms. Axios reports that since nineteen nineteen, politicians have publicly cursed at least six hundred ninety-two times—but six hundred and five of those instances occurred in just the past ten years. President Biden and former President Trump together account for nearly seventy-eight percent of all recorded political profanity. Northeastern University researcher Nick Beauchamp explains the strategy: politicians use strong language to channel anti-establishment frustration away from radical policy and toward what he calls a 'radical rejection of the status quo.' A study published in the Journal of Language and Social Psychology found that voters perceive swearing as informal and unconsciously give candidates a higher 'vibe check,' though male politicians benefit more than female ones. Women and people of color pursuing the same tactic may face greater backlash. The research suggests that while cussing can make a politician sound more relatable and ordinary, the shock value will eventually fade, and voters will still demand substantive policy.

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