The ‘Bleeping’ History of ‘Bleeping’ Presidents

Nixon’s recorded profanities, which included comments that “blacks lived like a bunch of dogs,” and that San Francisco was “full of fags and decorators” were unequivocally noxious.

“The Jews have certain traits. The Irish have certain -- for example, the Irish can't drink. ... The Italians, of course, just don't have their heads screwed on tight. They are wonderful people, but. ... The Jews are just a very aggressive and abrasive and obnoxious personality,” Nixon said in a 1973 recording.

When his comments were made public, many supporters were hurt, Hughes said.

“The view of him, especially among conservatives, was that he was among the most intelligent and sophisticated conservatives in politics,” he said. “People did not expect him to have truly bigoted views about Jews, for example. His own Jewish employees expressed dismay and shock at what he said.”

Allan Lichtman, a historian at American University, told Courthouse News that while presidential use of crude language is far from uncommon, context is important.

“[President Lyndon B. Johnson] was known for that. He took pride [using] salty language. He was considered a blunt, down-to-earth Texan who pretty much said what was on his mind,” Lichtman said. “It was a calculated strategy of his part. “

In fact, it was known as the Johnson Treatment. He would bully and intimidate people into accepting his policies and views.

In one incident, quoted in the 1977 book "I Should Have Died," by Philip Deane, Johnson purportedly brow-beat the Greek ambassador to the U.S. over his nation's then heated dispute with Cyprus.

"Fuck your parliament and your constitution," Johnson reportedly said. "America is an elephant. Cyprus is a flea. Greece is a flea. If these two fleas continue itching the elephant, they may just get whacked good ...... We pay a lot of good American dollars to the Greeks, Mr. Ambassador. If your Prime Minister gives me talk about democracy, parliament and constitution, he, his parliament and his constitution may not last long."

Johnson could be equally rough when it came to disputes within the Beltway. He once allegedly dismissed the differences between a senator and a House member by saying "I know the difference between chicken shit and chicken salad."

Lichtman said Johnson even resorted to impolite language when referring to one of his signature legislative achievements, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

"I want the goddamndest, strongest voting rights act anyone could ever adopt!,” Johnson said as he pressed hard for the legislation.

But Johnson's salty rhetoric palls compared to what Trump allegedly said in front of lawmakers on Thursday.

Lichtman said the observations attributed to Trump are "overtly racist,”  adding that Americans would “need to look as far back as Andrew Jackson in 1860s to find anything comparable.”

“What he said harkens back to the entire history of nativism and prejudice" the historian continued. "In the 18th century, the Adams administration passed Alien laws, making it difficult for immigrants to become naturalized U.S. citizens.

Nativists, he said, saw immigrants entering the U.S. as “menace” and for Adams, it started with the French and then, Canadians.

“Then Ireland.  Germany. Japan. China. Then Jews. Then Roman Catholics from Italy. Russia, Poland and Lithuania. Then people from Latin America,” Lichtman said. “So, in fact, the vast majority of places where Americans come from today were, at one time, pilloried as undesirable, un-American and diminishing U.S. standing.”

Adams did not use the word “shithole” but the underlying point was the same, he said, adding Trump’s language recalled “some of the worst tendencies in the U.S.”

“Tendencies that Republicans and Democratic presidents alike have all denounced in the strongest ringing terms before,” he said.

Ben Zimmer, a linguistics experts at the Linguistic Society of America weighed the power of language in with Courthouse News Friday.

While cultural norms around profanity have “loosened generally over the past 50 years,” Zimmer said, the president’s “tough talk” on Thursday still has a global  impact.

“And it matters not just that he is using the [language], but is using it in the service of hateful, disparaging views about other countries and their inhabitants,” Zimmer said.

People are clearly paying attention to the language. The Federal Communications Commission on Friday reported it had received a "handful" of complaints after NBC and CNN used the word “s—hole” in their coverage of the controversy.

CNN featured the term on its chyron, and it was also repeated on air multiple times. But the FCC’s jurisdiction over indecency and profanity does not cover cable and satellite programming.

The word was used once on “NBC Nightly News,” but anchor Lester Holt issued a viewer warning in advance. CBS and ABC chose not to use the word, according to Variety.

"Tough talk" can plainly be offensive, Licthman said.

“Words fly through the air and wound. They’re not irrelevant. They can be as deadly as bullets and bombs,” he said.

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