Chapter 4: Trump, a bully in the White House

Since Donald Trump entered the political arena, opinion polls have consistently agreed on one point: his ability to project the image of a strongman capable of enforcing his agenda. Last year was no exception. When Gallup asked voters about the strength of the candidates, 65% of independents viewed the Republican as strong, compared to just 42% who said the same about his opponent, Kamala Harris.

In voters’ eyes, Trump was seen as less moral, less trustworthy, and even less likable than his rival. But he had guts — he had the strength to push his proposals through. And for many, that was enough to earn their vote — especially among those who were eager to blow up the system.

To maintain that image of a strongman, the Republican has relied on the same tactic from the beginning: attack and ridicule. Trump behaves like the schoolyard bully — the kid who doesn’t care about being liked because he knows he can get what he wants through fear and insults, by overpowering the weaker ones.

During the last campaign, he went so far as to call undocumented immigrants “animals.” He has also given his opponents countless derogatory nicknames. There’s even a Wikipedia entry that lists the names he has coined — now numbering over 100.

With these characterizations, his goal is not only to polarize, but often to strip others of their humanity — creating a simpler, more visceral “us versus them” divide, as philosopher Martha Nussbaum suggests in The Monarchy of Fear.

Moreover, his aggressive style reinforces his image as an anti-establishment figure — a man who has come to tear down the existing order, a core element of his narrative. That’s why he never backs down, never retreats from his mission to steamroll his opponents and certain social groups, both politically and personally.

The following sections present data and examples illustrating six aspects of Trump’s political bullying.

A barrage of threats and insults

Trump views threats, disdain, and intimidation as tools of negotiation — both in domestic and foreign policy. The clearest example of this has been his use of tariffs to pressure Mexico and Canada into adopting specific border security measures.

But his repertoire of threats extends far beyond that. He frequently talks about expanding U.S. territory, denigrating countries like Canada, Denmark, and Panama. He also regularly targets undocumented immigrants and judges — at times resorting to outright insults.

Targeting political rivals

One of Trump’s favorite ways to assert his power is by ridiculing his political opponents. Since the Democrats still lack a clear, undisputed national leader, Trump continues to direct much of his fire at Joe Biden, who left the White House with low approval ratings.

According to an NBC study, during his first 100 days, Trump mentioned Biden — his family or his presidency — 580 times across social media posts and public statements, averaging six times per day.

He has also found time to attack other figures, often without directly naming them or referencing their positions. Mockery serves as a strategy to elevate himself above his targets and reinforce the image that he is the most powerful player in the arena.

Oval Office reprimands

Foreign leaders risk becoming the target of public scoldings in the Oval Office if they fail to comply with Trump’s demands. He seems to take particular pleasure in reprimanding those in weaker or more dependent positions — such as Ukraine and South Africa.

And Trump doesn’t always do it alone. In the case of Ukraine, Vice President J.D. Vance joined him; in the case of South Africa, it was billionaire Elon Musk who stood by his side.

Targeting the vulnerable

Trump tends to attack disadvantaged or vulnerable groups to gain political advantage or to position them as examples of what could happen to others who oppose him. During the campaign, he targeted transgender people in an ad against Kamala Harris. Less than two weeks into his presidency, he accused workers with special needs at the Federal Aviation Administration, blaming them for a helicopter and commercial plane collision.

More than 250 immigrants have been deported and detained in a prison in El Salvador without due process, and the president later warned that he would consider doing the same to U.S. citizens.

Highlighting the suffering of immigrants

Eighty-nine percent of voters who considered immigration the most important issue in the United States chose Trump in the 2024 election. For this reason, one of his main objectives is to project strength against undocumented immigrants, and both the president and the White House’s social media accounts use bullying tactics to do so.

They create original content designed to make deportation news go viral — videos of security patrols or detentions set to trendy music, AI-generated images inspired by dramatic photos of deported immigrants, and even immersive sensory videos showing people being expelled.

Restraining the bully?

Trump has made confrontation a cornerstone of his leadership. He publicly clashes with individuals and institutions to pressure them into doing what he wants. And if he can’t succeed through verbal sparring, he resorts to other coercive measures.

He systematically challenges judges, the media, intelligence agencies, and electoral oversight bodies, portraying them as part of a conspiracy aimed at preventing him from fulfilling his mission. However, since arriving at the White House, the judiciary has become a check on his power, blocking or reversing a significant number of his decisions.

To find out more

Books:

• Martha C. Nussbaum: The Monarchy of Fear
• Ruth Amossy: L’argumentation dans le discours
• Antoni Gutiérrez-Rubi: Gestionar las emociones políticas  
• Catherine Orecchioni: Le Discours polémique

Articles:

• Adam Tooze: Bullying as a mode of power 
• Beatriz Gallardo Paúls: Insultos políticos: la desinformación emocional
• Gil Duran: TACO: The Frame That Exposes Trump’s Fear of Looking Weak
• Santiago Castelo: Políticos Violentos. Un análisis de la agresión en el discurso político en Twitter
• Liz Willen: Trump is bullying, blackmailing and threatening colleges, and they are just beginning to fight back
• Tony Volk: As an expert in bullying, I have advice on dealing with Trump
• Antoni Gutiérrez-Rubí: Animales

Podcast:

• New York Times Podcast: Trump’s Era of International Bullying