'Shifty Schiff' and 'Sleepy Joe': The strategy behind Trump's political nickname game
Trump's nicknames for his opponents are deliberate and effective, say political reporters
"Crazy Bernie Sanders," "Nervous Nancy Pelosi," "Pocahontas Elizabeth Warren," "Shifty Adam Schiff," and on it goes. U.S. President Donald Trump has a long list of nicknames — typically deployed against his political opponents.
"What they all have in common is this negative connotation and this implication of nefarious intent," John Bennett, senior White House correspondent for Roll Call, told Day 6.
Take "Crooked Hillary Clinton" or "Lyin' Ted Cruz."
"He's really trying to tell his supporters, and any voters who might be on the fence, that you can't trust these people," Bennett said.
The nicknames can be quite effective, especially among his voter base, according to Business Insider political reporter Eliza Relman.
"It boils down his opponents' weaknesses — or at least what Trump believes their weaknesses are — to a really simple idea, and then he brands them," said Relman.
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