Why 'little' is the most brutal insult Trump can imagine

The president wants you to know he is very large and strong

President Trump.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Leon Neal/Getty Images, photodeti/iStock, NATSUKONOSUKE/iStock, -slav-/iStock, Kirsten Angel-Lambert, kimiko/iStock)

President Trump has always had a preoccupation with size. His world is a binary of big and small, where being "little" is weak and "big" is always better. His supporters are "big, strong guys," his brain is "very, very large," his successes are "huge." His enemies, meanwhile, are almost always dismissed at some point or another as "little."

Trump's favorite recycled insult is indicative of more than just a lack of creativity, though. From "little Mac Miller" to "little Eric Schneiderman" to "little Marco," and now the grammatically-mangled "liddle' Adam Schiff," Trump's decision to physically reduce his enemies seems to reflect decades of pent-up insecurity about his own stature. Even now, from his roost in the White House, Trump appears to be haunted by nightmares of being perceived as small in any way.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.