President Donald Trump certainly did his part in setting the table for the current state of public discourse. Make what you will of his agenda: His successful campaign has transformed the substance of political speech. This is an era when offhand vulgarity counts as straight talk; when “bomb the s— out of” ISIS becomes a policy plank; when George Carlin’s “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” might as well be a consultant’s handbook, for not only can you now say them on the stump, you are likely to lead the evening newscasts as a result. This is not about what was said in some bus on a Hollywood set 12 years ago. It is about taking such language to the lectern—mouthing the F-word or using slang for the female anatomy in a rally venue—and then arriving behind a podium embossed with the presidential seal.

But if Trump was a trendsetter, the trend is real, and he’s far from alone. Four-letter words are now the terms with which we conduct significant debates. Obama Labor secretary Tom Perez adopted “No more bulls—” as a virtual yard sign in his quest to become Democratic party chairman. He won. He recently told a gathering of activists in New Jersey that Republicans “don’t give a s— about people.” Provided the opportunity to comment, Perez’s spokeswoman doubled down. “Tom Perez won’t apologize for saying ‘Republicans don’t give a s— about people,’ ” the Washington Post‘s Dave Weigel tweeted. “Sorry not sorry,” Perez replied—because if Democrats have learned anything in the last six months, it’s that backing down is for losers.