‘Words matter’: Titles, Trump and what to call a former president

Published May 7, 2024 9:05 AM

By DAVID KLEPPER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is not the president, but that doesn’t stop many of his most loyal supporters and even his lawyers from calling him the commander-in-chief. New research published Tuesday by Syracuse University finds the phenomenon is apparent in online advertisements too. An analysis of thousands of ad buys on Facebook and Instagram shows that pro-Trump ads typically refer to the twice-impeached Trump as the president, while dismissing the current officeholder simply as Biden or Joe. The findings show that while Americans may not wear uniforms proclaiming their political loyalties, the language they use can offer a subtle but simple reminder of the polarization that has gripped our politics.

Article Topic Follows: AP-National

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