CounterPunch Exclusives

CounterPunch Exclusives

The Vulgar Presidency: Cage Fights and Chamber Music Nostalgia

Photograph Source: Haribhagirath – CC BY-SA 4.0

“Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you bunch of crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell,” the President of the United States wrote on Truth Social on Easter Sunday, in reference to Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. Unpresidential language? The word vulgar has two meanings; common and ordinary, or rude and obscene. Are Donald Trump’s language and behavior common and ordinary, or rude and obscene?

The Trump White House has little in common with the world of John F. Kennedy, where the virtuoso cellist Pablo Casals once performed chamber music in the East Room in an atmosphere of restraint, ceremony, and cultural respect. Today, the symbolism has shifted: not silence and strings, but noise, spectacle, and something closer to a Roman gladiator arena. The change is tonal. One presidency presented itself through refinement; Trump’s presidency presents itself through performance, volume, and theatrical display.

Trump’s recent behavior reflects his efforts to embody “vulgarity” in the sense of the common, the ordinary, the language of the people.  He graciously welcomed a woman—identified as Sharon Simmons, a DoorDash delivery driver often referred to in media coverage as the “DoorDash Grandma”—informally to the White House in connection with Trump’s campaign to eliminate taxes on tips. And while chatting with reporters, Trump announced plans for a June 14 Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) exhibition event on the grounds of the White House, with projected temporary seating for tens of thousands. He amiably offered Ms. Simmons tickets.

Was Trump being vulgar? Historically, “vulgar” meant the language of........

© CounterPunch