The first 3 words that come to voters' minds when they hear 'Trump' are 'idiot,' 'incompetent,' and 'liar'

(Image credit: Molly Riley-Pool/Getty Images)

published 10 May 2017

Hearing the name "Trump" makes voters think of a lot of words that you wouldn't want your kindergartner calling another kindergartner, a new Quinnipiac Poll published Wednesday has found. When asked what the first word to come to mind is when someone says "Trump," the top three responses were "idiot," "incompetent," and "liar." "Leader," a relatively neutral, descriptive word, came in fourth place and "president" in sixth.

Most of the words, though, were pretty unflattering. Yes, "strong" and "businessman" made the list, but so did "ignorant," "bully," "narcissist," and "a--hole." The list only recorded words that were mentioned by five or more respondents, but that allowed descriptors like "blowhard," "evil," and "greedy" to eke in — alongside the more flattering "negotiator" and "patriot."

The poll surveyed 1,078 voters between May 4 and 9 and found Trump with a "near-record negative 36-58 percent job approval rating." The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percent. Read the full list of words here.

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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.