Washington Examiner senior writer Joe Concha disapproved of politicians swearing in official statements, saying it comes across as a “phony” way to appear relatable.
A growing number of politicians, including President Donald Trump, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have gone viral for dropping the f-bomb in interviews and on camera. Concha compared this growing phenomenon to a “crooked tie” in how both are a “turn-off” and “avoidable,” saying that politicians behaving this way are likely trying to come off as “authentic” to voters.
“With them, it feels more contrived because I never heard Adam Schiff use that sort of language before, or AOC, or Jasmine Crockett, or anybody you want to name, Chris Murphy, for example, senator from Connecticut,” Concha said Monday on Fox Business’s Varney & Co.
“So when they do this, I think it’s almost like a poll-tested way to try to reach people and seem like you’re fighting and you’re real, but unless you did that your whole life, then it feels like it’s something that’s scripted, and that’s what this feels like: contrived, and quite frankly, phony,” Concha said.
Last week, Trump flipped his middle finger at a Ford worker in Michigan, appearing to mouth “f*** you” twice to the heckler. The president also vented his frustration with Israel breaking a ceasefire deal with Iran in June 2025, saying that neither country knows “what the f*** they’re doing.”
Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke said in August that his party is in “a basketball game” and its opponents are “clobbering the s*** out of us.” He encouraged Democratic supporters to “punch back, kick back, dunk over their heads, and win some f***ing power.”
Concha also addressed the viral protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a Minneapolis church on Sunday, saying this type of protest broke up “a peaceful service.” He predicted this would mark the beginning of “the boomerang effect,” where the public will start opposing anti-ICE demonstrations.
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Concha then took some shots at ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon, who was covering the protest. He added that Lemon is “absolutely proving that he is an activist” instead of a journalist.
Justice Department officials announced Sunday that they are investigating the protest in Minneapolis. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said officials are looking at possible violations of the FACE Act, which generally protects places of worship from protests.