Donald Trump has claimed that being called "The Donald" is really no big deal. "I don't mind that it stuck," he told The Washington Post last September. "I think it's an endearment." He's fine. Everything is fine.
But in 1990, an Eastern Airlines employee named Charles Beattie sued Trump after being fired from the company once Trump purchased it and renamed it Trump Shuttle, The Washington Post discovered. During that lawsuit, Beattie repeatedly called Trump "The Donald": "The Donald is reputed to be a very rich man," as one example.
Trump's lawyers responded with a filing that took issue with Beattie's usage, claiming "there is absolutely no basis for plaintiff to create a circus atmosphere in this Court by referring to Mr. Trump as 'The Donald'…Such allegations, which make Mr. Trump appear as a caricature of cartoon-like proportions, are simply unnecessary." Another filing revealed that being called "The Donald" made Trump "uncomfortable."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In the 2016 election, some have argued that Trump is "thin-skinned," a case that appears to only be supported by his strong adversity to his nickname. Nevertheless, Trump has maintained he has "very strong, very thick skin."
-
5 artfully drawn cartoons about Donald Trump's Epstein doodleCartoons Artists take on a mountainous legacy, creepy art, and more
-
Violent videos of Charlie Kirk’s death are renewing debate over online censorshipTalking Points Social media ‘promises unfiltered access, but without guarantees of truth and without protection from harm’
-
What led to Poland invoking NATO’s Article 4 and where could it lead?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION After a Russian drone blitz, Warsaw’s rare move to invoke the important NATO statute has potentially moved Europe closer to continent-wide warfare
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
