I don’t remember it for past administrations and certainly not to the degree that it is being used now. ISTM that it was used somewhat to distinguish the Presidents Bush but that at least made sense.
Is it supposed to be an insult?
I remember Reagan being referred to as the 40th President more often than his successors were referred to by their numbers. My WAG is that it is similar to birthdays where people tend to consider ones that are multiples of 5 as “milestones” and make a bigger deal out of them.
I used to say “Papa Bush” and “Baby Bush” to distinguish between them.
Yes, it is supposed to be an insult 
Or maybe people are afraid that, like Voldemort, if you say “Trump” he will hear it and get into your head. Or something.
It’s silliness - part of Trump Derangement Syndrome. I don’t remember people refusing to say “Obama”.
Obama was an intelligent and honorable man. Why would people refuse to say “Obama?”
Surely you don’t believe Trump is simply the flip side of a moderate Democrat?
Perhaps you’ve missed the past 20 years or so, (or six months) of news about Trump. He’s grossly unfit in every possible way to serve as President of the United States.
True. No one on the Right ever failed to address the former president by his name, Barack HUSSEIN Obama, or one of its many variants, e.g. “Obozo,” “Obummer,” “Obambi,” “Barry Soetoro,” et cetera. We should all aspire to such gentility.
Yeah, in a way. It’s a way to refer to Trump without saying his name. As Vinyl Turnip points out, it’s only insulting a little bit compared to the way other presidents were referred to.
I first noticed it on Politico. Their section on the Obama administration was “44.”
I reckon it started as an inside-the-beltway thing, and has now hit the mainstream.
I think it was primarily used to distinguish between the two Bush Presidencies, but it continued as a political-nerd shorthand. I’ve never seen it used with malice. If anything, I would have thought that it’d be an honor to be on the same list as “1” “3” “16”, “26” and “32”.
I apparently have been missing this. The only time I remember seeing a President being called by a number was George W. Bush being called 43. Which makes sense with a previous President having shared his name.
I wasn’t around back in the 1820’s so I don’t know if people were talking about what 6 was doing.
Here’s an example: 44 to reverse 43s executive orders.
Oh, it’s a thing alright.
His father said: I am number 2. To which the son replied: Who is number 1? And the father responded: You are number 6.
That’s how it all started.
It may be subtle in some cases but it is pretty wide spread.
The menu across the top of the page reads, “45, CONGRESS, SECURITY, THE NINE, TRUMPMERICA, STATE.”
I think it started becoming widespread to distinguish the Bushes. 41 and 43.
Yes. But it was still used occasionally as far back as I recall, which is basically Kennedy. It was mostly used in the news for elections, inaugurations, or deaths that I recall. I doubt anyone but the Bushes were known by their numbers, except George as the first. I assume still kids all get some intro to them by number in history classes also, so I remember the first few, and that Lincoln was the 16th.
It has been an inside the Beltway thing for as long as I’ve followed politics. It’s probably similar to how some athletes are sometimes referred to by their uniform number. It started coming into more popular use around the time of George W Bush, which also saw the rise of a lot of political blogs aimed at more wonky readership. I’d say it is similar to the use of POTUS and SCOTUS.
It was a thing back in the late 19th century to distinguish between Grover Cleveland’s non-consecutive terms.
“When was Augustus Garland the Attorney General?”
“GC-22.”
By the way, the symmetry of having an AG whose initials are A.G. is the kind of thing more presidents should strive for.
It started as a means of separating the Bushes. It was short and catchy. It works well in headlines. People started using for Obama. People continue using it for Trump. People will continue using it for the next President.
I’m sure it can be used as an insult. Anything can be used as an insult. Does the OP have any examples at all of its being used as an insult? One. How about one, to start. Then we can see whether this is a thing. Until it’s a thing it isn’t a thing.
I don’t use the number to diminish the current occupant of the White House. I diminish him by not capitalizing his last name. My feeling is that most of the time we’ve seen it over the many years that he’s been a public eyesore the ENTIRE name was capitalized. I’m just trying to restore a little balance to the universe.
I first began to see it used, on other forums, as a way to avoid rewarding a narcissist. Sort of the modern version of referring to FDR only as “that man in the White House.”