
Donald Trump Debate - Getty - H 2016
Getty Images- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Tumblr
To “big league” or “bigly”?
That is the question. Well, it was to some people on Twitter during a particularly tense passage of verbal jousting at the first presidential debate on Monday between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
Trump, attacking Clinton’s tax plans, was heard to say in a rather mumbled fashion, “I’m going to cut taxes big league and you’re going to raise taxes big league.” Or did he? Many thousands at home and on online were not convinced, and they were quick to mock Trump’s colorful use of the English language.
After the debate, Eric Trump confirmed that his father had indeed said “big league” and dismissed any notions of “bigly.” But not everyone was convinced.
Did he just say #bigly?
— Vincent Laforet (@vincentlaforet) September 27, 2016
That escalated bigly.
— Selena Larson (@selenalarson) September 27, 2016
And what gave this whole bigly brouhaha legs was that this isn’t the first time Trump has left the watching world scratching their heads and wondering over what he’d said. Back in May, after winning the Indiana primary, Trump told an assembled crowd in his New York HQ: “We’re not going to lose. We’re going to start winning again, and we’re going to win bigly.”
Given the previous usage, Trump should perhaps just own up to trying to embiggen the political lexicon with his own neologism and dismiss this whole argument as rather cromulent.
Here’s Trump saying we are going to win “bigly” in his presumptive nominee victory speech pic.twitter.com/XGYLYW3Mpo
— Mic (@mic) May 4, 2016
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day