Loser, lightweight, moron or dummy? Donald Trump's insult targets

Lindsay Deutsch and Marc Cugnon | USA TODAY

Presidential candidate and real estate tycoon Donald Trump isn't one to shy away from confrontation. Whether the subject is one of his fellow Republican presidential candidates, celebrities who have spoken out against him or a writer for Modern Family, Trump's prolific (and often, Twitter-based) insults often make headlines.

Take a look at his favorite use of colorful language — and scroll down for more comprehensive documentation of public figures he's singled out.

John McCain

July 18, Iowa, Family Leadership Summit

Trump said: "He's not a war hero." ... "He is a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured, okay?"

Rosie O'Donnell

December 2006, on Larry King Live

Trump said: "She's an extremely unattractive person who doesn't understand the truth. ... I think she's a terrible person ... She has failed at everything she has done... She's a bully and she sucker punches people."

Jon Stewart

April 24, 2013, Twitter

"I promise you that I'm much smarter than Jonathan Leibowitz - I mean Jon Stewart @TheDailyShow. Who, by the way, is totally overrated."

Mitt Romney

Jan. 24, 2015, Freedom Summit in Iowa

"He choked. Something happened to him in the last month. He had that election won."

Anderson Cooper

July 22, 2015 on CNN; July 23 on Twitter

"What a waste of time being interviewed by @andersoncooper when he puts on really stupid talking heads like Tim O'Brien - dumb guy with no clue!"

Lindsey Graham

July 21, 2015, public appearance in South Carolina

"What a stiff, what a stiff, Lindsey Graham. By the way he has registered zero in the polls..." "A total lightweight. In the private sector, he couldn't get a job."

Barack Obama

April 28, 2015, Twitter

"Our great African American President hasn't exactly had a positive impact on the thugs who are so happily and openly destroying Baltimore!"

Rick Perry

July 21, 2015, public appearance in Sun City, S.C.

"He put on glasses so people think he's smart. People can see through the glasses."

July 22, 2015, Twitter

"@GovernorPerry in my office last cycle playing nice and begging for my support and money. Hypocrite!"

Jeb Bush

July 21st 2015, public appearance in Sun City S.C.

"I'm not a fan of Jeb Bush." ... "Jeb Bush is in favor of Common Core and he is weak on immigration. . . . Who would you rather have negotiating with China. Trump or Jeb? Or Trump or Hillary?"

Hillary Clinton

July 8, 2015, interview with NBC

"Hillary Clinton was the worst secretary of State in the history of the United States." ... "There's never been a secretary of state so bad as Hillary. The world blew up around us, we lost everything, including all relationships. There wasn't one good thing that came out of that administration or her being secretary of state."

Jerry Seinfeld

September 2011, after Seinfeld pulled out of a benefit for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, over a disagreement with Trump about Obama's citizenship

"What I do feel badly about is that I agreed to do, and did, your failed show, The Marriage Ref, even though I thought it was absolutely terrible...Despite its poor ratings, I didn't cancel on you like you canceled on my son and St. Jude. I only wish I did."

Charles Krauthammer

June 5th 2015, Twitter

"One of the worst and most boring political pundits on television is @krauthammer. A totally overrated clown who speaks without knowing facts"

Kim Novak

March 2, 2014, Twitter, after Novak's much-gossiped-about Oscars appearance

"I'm having a real hard time watching the Academy Awards (so far). The last song was terrible! Kim should sue her plastic surgeon! #Oscars"

Gabriel Aubry and Halle Berry

Nov. 28, 2012, Twitter

"Gabriel Aubry should learn how to fight—he became a punching bag. Always drama with Halle B!"

Beyonce

Feb. 6, 2013, Howard Stern Show, following her Super Bowl performance

"When Beyonce was thrusting her hips forward in a very suggestive manner, if someone else would have done that it would have been a national scandal. I thought it was ridiculous ... I thought it was not appropriate."

Neil Young

June 24, 2015, Twitter, after Young asked Trump not to use his song for campaigning

"For the nonbeliever, here is a photo of @Neilyoung in my office and his $$ request—total hypocrite."

Bobby Jindal

July 2015, interviews with the New York Times

"You get guys like Perry, he's not registering, Bobby Jindal was very vehement – oh, bah bah. I think he's at zero."

Paulina Vega

July 5, 2015, Twitter, after Trump's comments that Mexican immigrants are "rapists" and criminals

"Miss Universe, Paulina Vega, criticized me for telling the truth about illegal immigration, but then said she would keep the crown-Hypocrite"

George W. Bush

July 9, 2015, Twitter

"You mean George Bush sends our soldiers into combat, they are severely wounded, and then he wants $120,000 to make a boring speech to them?"

Theresa Vail, Miss Kansas

September 2013, on Piers Morgan Tonight talking about Vail's tattoos

"I'm not a fan of tattoos. I see many people get the tattoos." ... "Many of them are done by people that aren't even artists. They have no talent, they have less talent than I would have in putting on a tattoo."

Seth Meyers

May 5, 2014, Twitter

"This guy @sethmeyers can't do a simple interview—saw him the other night stumbling & mumbling while trying to interview a guest."

Anthony Weiner

June 2013, speaking on Fox News

"I know Anthony Weiner. I've known him for a long time, and he's a very sick puppy. There's no question about it," "He's got a perversion. If you believe in the doctors of the world, it's very, very hard to reverse perversion. And you know, they say 100 percent. That means 100 percent you're not going to get better."

David Cameron

Dec. 6, 2012, Twitter

"Is PM Cameron a dummy? With monumental cuts in UK spending, how come he continues to spend billions of pounds ..."

Rick Santorum

April 8, 2015, to the Des Moines Register

"I have a big plane. He doesn't."

George Will

April 17, 2015, Twitter

"@BretBaier Why do you have George Will on your show - he's exhausted, boring and not even a little relevant! Waste of good air-time!"

"@GeorgeFWill is suggesting football is going away and @MittRomney will lose. @GeorgeFWill is a moron."

Arianna Huffington

Aug. 28, 2012, Twitter

"@ariannahuff is unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man- he made a good decision."

Cher

Nov. 13, 2012, Twitter

"@cher should spend more time focusing on her family and dying career!"

May 15, 2012, in an interview with Fox News, after Cher insulted Mitt Romney: "Cher is an average talent who's out of touch with reality… Cher is somewhat of a loser. She's lonely. She's unhappy. She's very miserable. And her sound-enhanced and computer-enhanced music doesn't do it for me, believe me."

Russell Brand

Oct. 16, 2014, Twitter

"I watched Russell Brand @rustyrockets on the @jimmyfallon show the other night—what the hell do people see in Russell—a major loser!"

".@katyperry must have been drunk when she married Russell Brand @rustyrockets – but he did send me a really nice letter of apology!"

".@katyperry Katy, what the hell were you thinking when you married loser Russell Brand. There is a guy who has got nothing going, a waste!"

".@katyperry I watched Russell Brand and I think his mind is fried - he looks really bad. Russell is a total joke, a dummy who is lost!"

Judge Thokozile Masipa, who presided over the Oscar Pistorius case

Oct. 21, 2014, Twitter

"Oscar Pistorius only gets five years in prison for killing his girlfriend. Ridiculous decision! Judge couldn't even read her own writings."

NBC Host Chuck Todd

Aug. 9, 2013, Twitter

"So many people have told me that I should host Meet the Press and replace the moron who is on now. Just too busy, especially next 10 years!"

"Doesn't dummy @chucktodd realize that when I considered running for president, I filed financial papers showing unbelievable numbers."

Washington Post reporter Chris Cillizza

May 15, 2015, Twitter

"One of the dumber and least respected of the political pundits is Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post @TheFix. Moron hates my poll numbers"

Chuck Hagel

Aug. 23, 2014, Twitter

"@saigon1968tet: "@realDonaldTrump: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel Obvious moron at conformation hearings."The worst I have ever witnessed"

Danny Zuker, writer/executive producer of Modern Family

June 12, 2013, Twitter

"Just tried watching Modern Family - written by a moron, really boring. Writer has the mind of a very dumb and backward child. Sorry Danny!"

""@Leigh26Heather: @realDonaldTrump WHO ON EARTH IS DANNY ZUKER????!!!!" A lightweight moron who only gets attention by attacking Trump."

Michelle Malkin, blogger

Oct. 25, 2012, March 22, 2013, Twitter

"How does @michellemalkin get a conservative platform? She is a dummy--just look at her past."

".@MichelleMalkin would be nothing without being on the @seanhannity show. I don't see what Sean sees in her—loser!"

Karl Rove

Feb. 7, 2013, Twitter

"Karl Rove is a total loser. Money given to him might as well be thrown down the drain."

Frank Luntz, Republican pollster

Aug. 3, 2014, Twitter

".@FrankLuntz works really hard but is a guy who just doesn't have it - a total loser!"

Ana Navarro, CNN contributor

March 19, 2013, Twitter

"Why do shows have @ananavarro—Ntl Hispanic Chair for the losing McCain '08 & Huntsman '12. She's a loser who doesn't deliver votes."

Mark Cuban

March 19, 2013, Twitter

"Golf match? I've won 18 Club Championships including this weekend. @mcuban swings like a little girl with no power or talent. Mark's a loser"

National Review writer Jonah Goldberg

April 20, 2015, Twitter

"Jonah Goldberg @JonahNRO of the once great @NRO #National Review is truly dumb as a rock. Why does @BretBaier put this dummy on his show?"

Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter

Dec. 19, 2012, Twitter

"Dummy Graydon Carter doesn't like me too much...great news. He is a real loser! @VanityFair"

Former NBC News anchor Brian Williams

Nov. 17, 2012, Twitter

"Brian--Thanks dummy--I picked up 70,000 twitter followers yesterday alone. Cable News just passed you in the ratings. @NBCNightlyNews"

Bill Moyers

April 7, 2013, Twitter

"@rab4488: @realDonaldTrump @BillMoyers @PBS @JeremiahWright Bill Moyers is a good man---1000 times better then you are" He is a dummy!

Bloomberg reporter John Heilemann

March 6, 2013, Twitter

"I don't know why but I feel so sorry for dummy reporter John Heilemann when I watch him on television."

Sasha Baron Cohen

Feb. 27, 2012, Twitter

"@SachaBaronCohen is a moron who should have been pummeled by the weak and pathetic security person who stood watching as he poured ashes over @RyanSeacrest, a wonderful guy, at the Academy Award's red carpet. The security person totally froze--he should be fired."

New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman

Jan. 31, 2014, Twitter

"Lightweight @AGSchneiderman just got his ass kicked by Trump!"

Alex Pareene

Aug. 15, 2012, Twitter

"Lightweight reporter Alex Pareene @pareene is known as a total joke in political circles. Hence, he writes for Loser Salon. @Salon"

Columbia University president Lee Bollinger

July 6, 2010, in a letter to Columbia Spectator's Eye magazine about Columbia University's planned expansion.

"He actually announced his project before buying the land—dummy!" … "Just like the University of Michigan was lucky to get rid of Bollinger, so will be Columbia – someday in the future!"

Scott Walker

June 17, 2015, in a video with Bloomberg

"He's got a lot of problems in Wisconsin. You know, Wisconsin's got tremendous problems. I like him. … the debt and the difficult problems that they have going on Wisconsin that a lot of people don't understand. Tremendous borrowings."

John Kasich

May 20, 2015, Twitter

"I now see John Kasich from Ohio- who is desperate to run- is using my line "Make America Great Again". Typical pol- no imagination!"

Marco Rubio

June 1, 2015, in an interview with Breibart News

"Rubio is weak on immigration and he's weak on jobs." "We need someone who is going to make the country great again, and Rubio is not going to make the country great again."

Jon Huntsman

Sept. 2011, culminating on Twitter

The two had a feud in 2011 over a series of negative tweets from Huntsman's spokesman, Tim Miller. Trump says it was because of a series of snarky comments tweeted earlier this week by Huntsman's spokesman, Tim Miller. It all started on Monday when Huntsman rival, Mitt Romney, paid a visit to Trump in New York City, including that Huntsman "isn't wasting his time with Presidential Apprentice."

Trump responded: "@JonHuntsman called to set up a meeting. Haven't returned his call."

Dick Cheney

Aug. 31, 2011, via YouTube

"I didn't like Dick Cheney when he was vice president; I don't like him now."

Ronald Reagan

Trump's autobiography, Trump: The Art of the Deal

Trump wrote that Reagan is someone who could "con people" but couldn't "deliver the goods."

Contributing: Jessica Durando