The inspiration returned just before 11 p.m. on Thursday as the presidential Twitter feed crackled to life.

Snappy, alliterative, essentially true — President Trump had coined another one. For the first time, the target of his executive nicknaming was one of his own: “Sloppy Steve” Bannon, his ousted strategist. A roster of vanquished campaign rivals, congressional enemies and other assorted villains had company.

If history is instructive, what comes next for Mr. Bannon is a relentless blend of mass repetition, capital lettering and brazen punctuation. He should also expect, given his former boss’s track record, that the label will stick.

Below, an appraisal of Mr. Trump’s signal creative endeavor in politics:

Campaign Rivals

“Lyin’ Ted” Cruz

“You have to spell it right!” Mr. Trump implored a campaign crowd. “It’s L-Y-I-N-apostrophe. Lyin’ Ted. The bible held high, he puts it down and then he lies.” Mr. Trump went on to repeatedly float the evidence-free claim that Mr. Cruz’s father was involved in the Kennedy assassination.