Trump’s expletive-ridden rants show his rage - and a changed America
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
So said Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address, a two-minute speech widely regarded as the most eloquent oration a US president has ever delivered.
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” challenged John F Kennedy during his inaugural address in 1961, in another rhetorical flight of fancy.
“Open the F**kin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell,” harrumphed Donald Trump on Easter Sunday in a Truth Social post aimed at Iran.
Tips for staying safe in the water as 10 drown in heatwave
Why UK’s rudest chalk figure is getting a glow-up
Jill Biden feared husband was having stroke during 2024 debate
How homeowners could miss out on £2.5k air con grants
Why NHS rejected calls for mass screening for prostate cancer
The ‘big shop’ essentials that are about to cost more
Why type 2 diabetes is ‘rising faster in younger women’
Iran targets US base as Trump rejects ceasefire – the latest
Tips for water safety as 10 drown in heatwave
The hot weather has seen a spike in drownings and fatal water-related incidents. The recovery of the body of a teenage boy from a pond in Kent on Wednesday afternoon brought the number of deaths since last Sunday to 10.Eight of the fatalities involved young people, and safety campaigners have renewed warnings of the risks of entering water which remains dangerously cold despite hot air temperatures.
What you need to know
The Royal Life Saving Society has warned of the dangers of cold-water shock and advises swimming only at supervised locations with lifeguards.
Cold-water shock is an involuntary response of the body when it is suddenly immersed in water at 15°C or below. The response triggers gasping, hyperventilation and a spike in heart rate.
This panic is accompanied by loss of fine motor control and an inability to swim or use safety equipment. Cold-water shock is a leading cause of drowning and can occur within minutes.
How to survive: float to live
Wherever possible, always enter cold water slowly to habituate the body to the change of temperature. But if you unexpectedly enter cold water, adopt the “float to live” method advised by the RNLI, which is based on resisting the urge to thrash or swim hard.
Instead, the person should relax the body and tilt the head back with the ears submerged to enter a floating position. Gently move hands or legs to stay afloat if needed, spreading the limbs. Once breathing is under control, call for help or swim to safety.
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@theipaper Britain’s record for the hottest May day was broken at London’s Heathrow Airport, with a temperature of 33.5 degrees celsius, according to the Met Office.
The all-time temperature record for the month of May previously stood at 32.8°C in both 1922 and 1944. Amber heat health alerts are in place for large parts of England until Wednesday. weather metoffice record ♬ original sound – The i Paper – The i Paper
Britain’s record for the hottest May day was broken at London’s Heathrow Airport, with a temperature of 33.5 degrees celsius, according to the Met Office.
The all-time temperature record for the month of May previously stood at 32.8°C in both 1922 and 1944. Amber heat health alerts are in place for large parts of England until Wednesday. weather metoffice record
Why UK’s rudest giant is getting a glow-up
The Cerne Abbas Giant is this week getting its routine beauty treatment as hundreds of volunteers replace the chalk which outlines the 55-metre figure cut into a Dorset hillside.The National Trust, which owns the site, says changing weather patterns are making it harder to maintain the outline of the priapic giant. Whereas the re-chalking normally happens once every decade, this time it is happening after an interval of seven years.
What you need to know
Debate rages over just how old the Cerne Giant is. The earliest written record of the nude figure with a prominent erection goes back to the 1600s but recent testing suggests it may date from the 8th to 10th centuries.
Once a decade the chalk used to outline the figure is renewed in a labour-intensive, 15-day process involving 17 tonnes of fresh stone and 300 staff and volunteers.
The process requires the old stone to be removed by hand from the trenches where it lies and fresh chalk packed in.
A closer look at the detail
A combination of frequent dry spells and heavier winter rains is having a “dulling effect” on the chalk figure’s normally crisp outlines. Heavy rain is washing chalk from the hillside more quickly, while damp conditions also allow algae to grow on the chalk, reducing its whiteness.
Summer droughts also mean the grass around the chalk outlines recedes, leaving the giant’s edges vulnerable to erosion. Ideas about just what the landscape art depicts range from a fertility figure to a satire on Oliver Cromwell.
Jill Biden feared husband was having stroke during debate
Former First Lady Jill Biden has said she thought her husband, President Joe Biden, was having a stroke during his disastrous presidential election debate in 2024.Biden’s faltering performance against Donald Trump ultimately led to him dropping out of the White House race. In an interview, Mrs Biden said: “As I watched it, I thought, ‘oh my God, he’s having a stroke’. And it scared me to death.”
What you need to know
The debate became one of the most famous in US electoral history after incumbent Joe Biden’s strangely halting performance increased questions about his ability to serve a second term.
Jill Biden stood beside her husband throughout his career but said the debate was a unique shock. She told CBS News: “I was frightened because I had never ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never.”
The former first lady was among those who ultimately encouraged Joe Biden to drop out and instead endorse Kamala Harris.
Beginning of the end
With a raspy voice which his team said was due to him being ill, the Joe Biden who turned up for the CNN debate in Atlanta was not the one Democrats wanted or expected. The president mixed up words and spent periods looking frozen to the spot.
Democrats attempted to put a brave face on the episode. But what had been the remote possibility of Joe Biden, who was 81 at the time, dropping out of the presidential election suddenly became a live issue. He stepped back within a month.
How homeowners could miss out on £2.5k air con grants
Education and News Reporter
Millions of homeowners could miss out on new government grants for air cooling units because of planning regulations and issues with a lack of space in properties.Ministers have launched grants worth £2,500 for air-to-air (A2A) heat pumps, which offer both air cooling and heating. But building experts warn of hurdles, especially for those living in flats.
What you need to know
The A2A grants are aimed at homeowners who are replacing a fossil-fuel heating system and need a green alternative. The pumps are a good option for smaller homes because they are affordable and easier to install.
While most homes will not need specfic planning permission, those in conservation areas or which are subject to listing building rules will need a formal go-ahead. There are 2.4m such homes in the UK.
Flats do not benefit from the same permitted development rights as houses and will therefore require planning permission for external air conditioning equipment.
Hot under the collar: Flat owners face obstacles to install air con
Campaigners warn that planning permission remains a “key barrier” to installing A2A pumps. Experts warn that apartment blocks covered in air conditioning units are “not attractive” and the technology needs to be made easier on the eye. Nesta, a charity supporting energy innovation, wants planning rules to be relaxed for A2A systems.
Millions of homeowners could miss out on £2,500 air-con grants
£2,500 grants for air conditioning in your home – how to apply
Final prostate cancer screening recommendation – what does it mean?
The UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) has recommended against population-wide prostate cancer screening using the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, although men with the BRCA2 gene mutation and a family history of certain cancers should be invited for screening every two years between the ages of 45 and 61.
What you need to know
The prostate is a gland next to the bladder whose main function is to help produce semen.
Over 63,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year and more than 12,000 die from it.
Early prostate cancer often has no symptoms, but later stages can include changes in urinary habits.
Many cases progress too slowly to cause problems or early death, but some cases are very aggressive.
I'm a prostate cancer doctor – these easy daily habits help lower my risk
Who is at higher risk?
Most cases of prostate cancer are in men over the age of 65.
Black men have double the risk. Any man with a family history of the disease is also at increased risk.
The BRCA2 gene mutation is linked to a higher chance of developing prostate cancer at a younger age and in a more aggressive form. Of 100 men with a BRCA2 variant, between 21 and 35 of them will develop prostate cancer before the age of 80.
Why is screening so controversial?
Evidence suggests PSA levels can rise for many reasons, including simple infections, and 75 per cent of people with a raised PSA do not have prostate cancer. A raised level means men can be referred for unnecessary biopsies or MRI, or treated for tumours that may never cause harm.
The PSA test can also miss aggressive cancer. Evidence has suggested around 15 per cent of people with a normal result may actually have prostate cancer.
Arguments on both sides
Experts in favour of wider screening argue that combining a PSA blood test with MRI scans could spot many more cases.
However, some still think this data is incomplete. A large study last year on PSA testing alone concluded it can lead to men being over-tested, while those who need help may be missed.
Prostate Cancer Research has been calling for a programme targeting men aged 45 to 69 who have a family history of the disease, and black men.
The UK NSC has recommended against population screening using the PSA test, saying it is “likely to cause more harm than good”. The committee does recommended that men with BRCA2 genetic mutations should be screened every two years between the ages of 45 and 61 if they have a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancers.
'Outdated' NHS guidelines mean thousands of lives lost to prostate cancer each year
Why only some men will get prostate cancer screening – and who's at most risk
The grocery essentials about to cost more
Staples including bread and butter as well as other produce such as wine and chocolate are set to spike in cost from this Christmas due to the US-Iran conflict, a study has warned.Eight in 10 food manufacturers have warned they will be forced to raise prices due to higher energy costs caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
What you need to know
Foods which require high energy inputs such as meat, butter, sugar and bread will see the highest price rises.
Food inflation to rise
According to the Food and Drink Federation report, food inflation could be as high as 9 per cent by the end of the year.
Price rises and job cuts
A majority of firms have warned they will have to raise prices. A third fear they will also have to cut staff.
Flexibility to absorb costs in food sector has evaporated
The federation said that while companies made savings to absorb some of their rising costs in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, there is now little ability to do so.
The essentials in your 'big shop' set to cost even more thanks to the energy crisis
Seven foods to stockpile as prices soar – including peanut butter and coffee
Type 2 diabetes rates ‘rising faster in young women’
Younger women are experiencing rates of type 2 diabetes twice as fast as those in older women, according to a new analysis.The charity, Diabetes UK, said the problem could be due to “little or no follow-up care” for those who develop the condition while pregnant. Up to 20 per cent of women develop gestational diabetes.
What you need to know
Analysis by Diabetes UK found that in the six years to 2024, diagnoses of type 2 diabetes in women under 40 rose by 47 per cent. For women aged 40 to 79 the figure rose by 22 per cent.
Gestational diabetes (GD) occurs when pregnant women cannot produce enough insulin. It usually disappears after birth but patients face a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Around 4.7 million people in the UK are living with a diabetes diagnosis, although Diabetes UK estimates almost 1.3 million have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.
Follow-up care to detect life-changing condition ‘must improve’
Women with GD should be offered a blood test to check for diabetes between six and 13 weeks after birth, then once a year thereafter. NHS figures show only 57 per cent of women had the annual test.
Some 11 per cent of women with GD developed type 2 diabetes within a year of giving birth. Colette Marshall, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said pregnancy should not be “a pathway to ill health”.
Iran targets US base as ceasefire under strain
Both the US and Iran traded attacks on Thursday as Tehran said it had targeted an American airbase, amid concerns that the ceasefire between the two countries is under threat.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had responded to a US attack on an Iranian military facility with its own assault on an American target. Kuwait, which hosts a large US base, said it was responding to missile and drone attacks.
What you need to know
Iran and the US have begun trading blows as peace talks show no immediate sign of producing a deal. The American military said it had targeted a ground control site in the port city of Bandar Abbas.
Washington said its actions are “purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire”. US forces also shot down four Iranian attack drones in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran has vowed to “not leave any act of hostility unanswered”. Although it did not specify which US base it had attacked, the IRGC insists it has retained its ability to target foes in the region.
A closer look at the detail
The military exchanges are happening against a background of continued uncertainty over the status of a US-Iran peace deal. Donald Trump had insisted in recent days that the “final details” of a plan were being discussed but insisted on Wednesday that he was not yet satisfied with any proposal.
Israel, which has been fighting the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, said it had begun attacks on Thursday on “infrastructure” belonging to the group in the southern city of Tyre.
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@theipaper Donald Trump is hosting a UFC fight night at the White House on his 80th birthday. Construction is underway for the octagon arena which is being built on the US President’s lawn. You can read Billy Freeman’s full article on The i Paper’s website. #ufc #uspolitics ♬ original sound – The i Paper – The i Paper
Donald Trump is hosting a UFC fight night at the White House on his 80th birthday. Construction is underway for the octagon arena which is being built on the US President’s lawn. You can read Billy Freeman’s full article on The i Paper’s website. #ufc #uspolitics
Maybe it is unfair to contrast the profanities of Trump with the poetry of his predecessors, but his is the sweariest presidency in US history.
Coarse language is a defining characteristic of his rambunctious political style, a lingua franca that helped make him an anti-establishment anti-politician after he first came down that golden escalator in 2015.
Saying the unsayable set the New York property tycoon apart. Foul-mouthed social media posts became his calling card and fired up his base. Trump told rally-goers to “knock the crap” out of would-be hecklers, promised to “kick the shit” out of Isis and said corporations that did not like his tax plans could go “f**k themselves”. All of this was music to what became Maga ears.
Winning the presidency in 2016 did nothing to purify Trump’s potty mouth. On entering the White House, a veritable bingo card of swear words did not take long to tick off. “BULLSHIT” is how he described the first impeachment inquiry mounted by Democrats on Capitol Hill.
On social media, he retweeted an obscenity intended as a compliment from the UFC fighter, Jorge Masvidal, who described the President admiringly as “a bad motherf**ker”. The former Republican senator, Mitt Romney, who was a frequent critic of the President, was a “pompous ass”.
Small wonder The New York Times in 2019 dubbed Trump “the profanity president”. It said that in one rally speech alone, Trump had uttered 10 “hells”, three “damns” and a “crap”. That same year, C-Span, the US cable channel which broadcasts the proceedings of Congress and most presidential addresses, even issued a disclaimer when it reran one of the Trump’s saltier speeches.
“The President used language that some may find offensive,” it warned viewers. It is quite something when presidential speeches become a matter of parental guidance.
In private, Trump’s language has been even more X-rated. At an Oval Office meeting in January 2018, the President referred to African nations and Haiti as “shithole” countries. “I’m f**ked,” was his reaction to hearing that former FBI director Robert Mueller had been appointed to investigate alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 campaign.
For US presidents, using expletives in the privacy of the White House is nothing new. Lyndon B Johnson, a bullying foul-mouthed Texan, used swear words as punctuation.
Tape recordings which emerged during the Watergate scandal revealed Richard Nixon to be a serial swearer. “Bullshit,” “a bunch of crap,” “I don’t give a shit” and “asshole” regularly featured in his repertoire.
Joe Biden, in comments which he thought were off-mike, described the passage of the Affordable Care Act as a “big f**king deal”. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris, as vice president, frequently used the word motherf**ker. In fact, she expressed pride, according to Bob Woodward’s fly-on-the-wall book War, at knowing how to pronounce it correctly.
However, the key difference is that Trump has unabashedly taken his profanities public.
In his 2024 campaign for the presidency, The New York Times reckoned he cursed in public at least 1,787 times. A “shit vice president,” is how he described Harris. And his crudity has become contagious.
His rally at Madison Square Garden, shortly before election day, became a swearfest. One speaker described Trump as “the greatest f**king president in the world”. Another labelled Hillary Clinton “a sick son of a bitch”.
In his second term, Trump has been even more unleashed than in his first. Analysis recently conducted by The Washington Post showed that during the first 18 months of Trump 1.0, about 40 per cent of his speeches contained at least one vulgar term. Over the same period of Trump 2.0, that figure is 93 per cent.
And the President’s obscenity has created a permission structure for others within his administration. When former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo criticised the proposed peace deal with Iran as being “not remotely America First”, the White House fired back. Trump’s communications director Steven Cheung told Pompeo to “shut his stupid mouth” and said the former senior Trump official “has no idea what the f**k he’s talking about”.
On the scale of presidential norm-busting, swearing is not considered a biggie. Trump was re-elected after being convicted on 34 felony counts and after refusing to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election. He was a central figure in the January 6 storming of the US Capitol and pardoned more than 1,500 of the “J6” rioters on his return to power.
While some of Trump’s evangelical supporters have voiced concerns about his profanities, religious leaders on the Christian right, such as former Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr, have continued to defend him, saying America is not electing a Sunday school teacher.
Among Maga devotees, Trump’s swearing acts as a bonding mechanism. It demonstrates a cultural affinity with his base. Liberal disapproval is seen as elite sneering.
As Trump has aged – he will be 80 next month – he might also be exhibiting what psychologists call disinhibition, a disposition towards outbursts and the failure to deploy a self-edit function – to the extent that he ever had one. It is tempting to describe the President’s more frequent use of swear words as a form of Trumpian Tourette’s syndrome.
Barack Obama, the most lyrical of recent presidents, once said: “The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We’. We the People. We Shall Overcome. Yes We Can. It is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone. Oh, what a glorious task we are given, to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.”
To that, the current President would probably reply: “Bullshit”.
Though it is often said that politicians campaign in poetry and govern in prose, Trump has upended that aphorism. He has campaigned and governed on a rich tide of profanities.