President Trump’s Double-Dirty Message to Iran

Like General Patton, President Trump also understands how to express himself in a way that serves the dual purpose of communicating with America’s enemies and, at the same time, with the American people. 

Paul Dowling | April 9, 2026

General George S. Patton knew how to get a point across: “When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty. It may not sound nice to some bunch of little old ladies at an afternoon tea party, but it helps my soldiers to remember.”

On April 5, 2026, President Trump directed a profane Truth Social comment at the Islamofascist regime in Iran: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F*ckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell -- JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.” Needless to say, Trump’s profanity-laced messaging has drawn more than its fair share of criticism.

However, one must realize that Trump was addressing more than one audience -- perhaps the most important one being the military leadership of Iran’s oppressive Islamic regime, which even gets trolled at the end of the message with Trump’s ironic use of the phrase, “Praise be to Allah.” Trump must have envisioned his message being translated into the equivalent register of speech used daily by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Indeed, Trump has proven to be exemplary in his role as commander-in-chief, so surely, in the interest of clarity, he was merely expressing his inner Patton.

On the communication style of the famous General George S. Patton, when it came to delivering important messages to troops, Capt. Ron Roberts has written the following:

Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., liked to give it to them double dirty. When he wanted his men to remember something of importance, he laced it with plenty of profanity. As he put it, “You can’t run an army without profanity; and it has to be eloquent profanity. An army without profanity couldn’t fight its way out of a piss-soaked paper bag.” Probably his best known speech, which he delivered with small variations on numerous occasions, was laced with expletives... Patton was as much an actor as he was a fine general. He purposely cultivated what he called his “war face.” He was aware that his men were watching him constantly, and he strived to lead by his words as much as he did by his actions. Some officers found his use of obscenities in the speech disappointing, viewing it as unprofessional conduct... The question of whether swearing is a powerful rhetorical device or a character blemish might seem trivial. But the art of leadership is not. And Patton was an extraordinarily gifted combat leader... He was acknowledged by his enemy in World War Two, the Germans (who he called the Huns, harkening back to his World War One service days), as America’s best general.Advertisement if (window.publir_show_ads) { document.write(''); }

Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., liked to give it to them double dirty. When he wanted his men to remember something of importance, he laced it with plenty of profanity. As he put it, “You can’t run an army without profanity; and it has to be eloquent profanity. An army without profanity couldn’t fight its way out of a piss-soaked paper bag.” Probably his best known speech, which he delivered with small variations on numerous occasions, was laced with expletives... Patton was as much an actor as he was a fine general. He purposely cultivated what he called his “war face.” He was aware that his men were watching him constantly, and he strived to lead by his words as much as he did by his actions. Some officers found his use of obscenities in the speech disappointing, viewing it as unprofessional conduct... The question of whether swearing is a powerful rhetorical device or a character blemish might seem trivial. But the art of leadership is not. And Patton was an extraordinarily gifted combat leader... He was acknowledged by his enemy in World War Two, the Germans (who he called the Huns, harkening back to his World War One service days), as America’s best general.

The high esteem in which America’s German foe held General Patton was likely due, at least in part, to his communication style with his men, as well as to his prowess and lethality on the battlefield. The linguistic theory of Martin Joos on registers of speech posits that the most effective communication occurs when a speaker matches, as closely as possible, the speaking style of the listener. Joos’s theory teaches many a valuable lesson, including this one:

Choosing the wrong register when speaking doesn’t mean that you won’t be understood. But an inappropriate style of speech can reduce the impact of what you have to say in more formal situations and could result in your audience failing to take you seriously. It could also cause offence as your listeners may perceive that you are not demonstrating sufficient respect for their social standing, professional standing or knowledge of the subject at hand. On the other hand, choosing a formal register in a casual context can result in you appearing to be arrogant or patronising. Knowing how to adapt your speech to both the situation and your audience will increase the likelihood of you being accepted, taken seriously and getting your message across.Advertisement if (publir_show_ads) { googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.pubads().addEventListener("slotRenderEnded", function(event) { if (event.slot.getSlotElementId() == "div-hre-Americanthinker---New-3028") { googletag.display("div-hre-Americanthinker---New-3028"); } }); }); }

Choosing the wrong register when speaking doesn’t mean that you won’t be understood. But an inappropriate style of speech can reduce the impact of what you have to say in more formal situations and could result in your audience failing to take you seriously. It could also cause offence as your listeners may perceive that you are not demonstrating sufficient respect for their social standing, professional standing or knowledge of the subject at hand. On the other hand, choosing a formal register in a casual context can result in you appearing to be arrogant or patronising. Knowing how to adapt your speech to both the situation and your audience will increase the likelihood of you being accepted, taken seriously and getting your message across.

An officer who uses the same register of speech as an Ivy League professor when addressing his troops runs the risks of being taken much less seriously than if he had used more visceral terminology. Soldiers want to hear from a fellow soldier -- someone who sounds as if he too has been on the field of battle, someone who can connect with the feelings, hearts, and minds of those enlisted men who have spent a good deal of time living in a world of real blood and guts. It is worth noting that Patton was called “Old Blood and Guts” by his men; but more than just a sign of his hard-driving style of warfighting, it was also a rightly earned title of respect that signaled both fear and affection by the soldiers who served with him.

Patton knew his men, and he knew how they needed to hear a thing said, to make his message “stick,” as it were. And like General Patton, President Trump also understands how to express himself in a way that serves the dual purpose of communicating with America’s enemies and, at the same time, with the American people -- especially with his Make America Great Again political base. As Trump put it recently, “No, I’m not losing MAGA, MAGA loves what I’m doing.” And the president knows he is correct in his assessment, because unlike his contemporaries of White House fame, Trump understands that effective communication with his fellow Americans involves connecting with them where they live -- using their preferred words, their linguistic styles, and the same kinds of hand gestures and facial expressions they like to use. This same principle applies when communicating with one’s adversaries.

Sun Tzu, an author Trump highly recommends, has written in The Art of War, “To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.” Timeless advice for anyone seeking to win against an adversary. Or, more specifically, for any president who wishes to communicate effectively to the militant mindset of an adversarial nation.

Paul Dowling’s book on the Constitution is Keeping a Free Republic -- downloadable for $2.99. Additionally, Paul has contributed to Independent Sentinel and Free Thought Matters.

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