Everything Trump has said about the 2020 field — insults and all

Image: Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, takes a selfie with supporters during his ca
Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, takes a selfie with supporters during his campaign kickoff event in Newark on April 13, 2019. Copyright Andres Kudacki AP file
By Adam Edelman with NBC News Politics
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More than 280 days before the Iowa caucuses, Trump has already coined, or reprised, derogatory nicknames for most of the Democratic presidential field.

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With Joe Biden's entrance Thursday morning into the 2020 presidential race, the Democratic field of candidates is full to bursting — and so is the list of targets for President Donald Trump.

Here's what Trump has had to say so far about his would-be challengers.

Joe Biden

Former Vice president Joe Biden speaks at the International Association of Fire Fighters legislative conference in Washington on March 12, 2019.
Former Vice president Joe Biden speaks at the International Association of Fire Fighters legislative conference in Washington on March 12, 2019.Win McNamee

Within hours of Biden's announcement, Trump dubbed the 76-year-old former vice president "Sleepy Joe," and called him someone whose "intelligence" had been "long in doubt."

Last month, Trump insulted Biden as "another low I.Q. individual" after the former Delaware senator accidentally admitted he was going to run for president, and then corrected himself.

Trump, in March 2018, had previously ripped Bidenas "Crazy Joe," tweeting that he was "trying to act like a tough guy" but was "weak, both mentally and physically." The slap-back came after Biden, at a rally at the University of Miami attended by a sexual assault awareness advocacy group, said he would "beat the hell out of" Trump if they had been in high school together and if he heard him demeaning women.

Trump, in his tweet, said that, if they fought, Biden "would go down fast and hard, crying all the way."

Trump has also previously dubbed Biden as "1 percent Joe" — a critical reference to his poor showing during his bid for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Bernie Sanders

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, at a press conference at the Capitol on March 28, 2019.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, at a press conference at the Capitol on March 28, 2019.Drew Angerer

Trump debuted his "Crazy Bernie" jibe against Sanders during the 2016 Democratic primary, as the independent Vermont senator racked up a series of primary wins against eventual nominee Hillary Clinton.

Trump has since reprised the insult as the 2020 Democratic race has kicked into gear, tweeting his prediction earlier this month that the contest would come down to "Crazy Bernie Sanders vs. Sleepy Joe Biden."

Sanders has hit back by saying, "What's crazy is that we have a president who is a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe and a fraud."

Elizabeth Warren

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks at the "We The People" Summit in Washington on April 1, 2019.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks at the "We The People" Summit in Washington on April 1, 2019.Brendan Smialowski

Trump has repeatedly used the slur "Pocahontas" against Warren, dating back the 2016 presidential race, when the Massachusetts senator emerged as a fierce critic of Trump. The insult references her past claims on Native American heritage, thought she was never enrolled as a member of a tribe.

He also slammed her as "goofy Elizabeth Warren"during the 2016 campaign, but revived the slur after Warren announced her 2020 bid.

Beto O'Rourke

Beto O\'Rourke speaks at the "We The People" summit in Washington on April 1, 2019.
Beto O\'Rourke speaks at the "We The People" summit in Washington on April 1, 2019.Brendan Smialowski

Trump took aim at O'Rourke in March, just days after his formal campaign launch, ragging on the former Texas congressman's penchant for moving his hands and arms around when he talks.

"I think he's got a lot of hand movement. I've never seen so much hand movement," Trump said during a White House event. "I said, 'Is he crazy or is that just the way he acts?'"

"I watched him a little while this morning, during I assume it was some kind of a news conference, and I've actually never seen anything quite like it," Trump said.

Earlier, during an October campaign for Sen. Ted Cruz (who was facing a tough challenge from O'Rourke), Trump called the candidate a "stone-cold phony named Robert Francis O'Rourke, sometimes referred to as 'Beto.'" O'Rourke's given name is "Robert Francis." Beto" is a nickname he has used since childhood.

Trump also slammed O'Rourke as "a flake" in a tweet he wrote after a debate between O'Rourke and Cruz.

Amy Klobuchar

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., announces her candidacy for president in Minneapolis on Feb. 10, 2019.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., announces her candidacy for president in Minneapolis on Feb. 10, 2019.Kerem Yecel

Trump went relatively easy on the Minnesota senator, merely taking aim at how the snowy weather conditions affected her February campaign launch.

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"By the end of her speech she looked like a Snowman(woman)!"he tweeted, mockingKlobuchar for "talking proudly of fighting global warming while standing in a virtual blizzard of snow, ice and freezing temperatures"

Kirsten Gillibrand

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, speaks to guests at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa, on April 17, 2019.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, speaks to guests at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa, on April 17, 2019.Scott Olson

Trump appears to have stayed away from Gillibrand since she announced her campaign earlier this year. But in 2017, he landed a harsh blow against her on Twitter that many said was sexually suggestive.

Trump,on Twitter, slammed Gillibrandas a "Lightweight Senator," a "total flunky for Chuck Schumer" and said she was "someone who would come to my office 'begging' for campaign contributions not so long ago.

Gillibrand, Trump added, "would do anything for them."

The tweet came amid the backdrop of the burgeoning #MeToo movement and after Gillibrand called on Trump to resign due to the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct made against him, allegations the president has vehemently denied.

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Cory Booker

Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, takes a selfie with supporters during his campaign kickoff event in Newark on April 13, 2019.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, takes a selfie with supporters during his campaign kickoff event in Newark on April 13, 2019.Andres Kudacki

Trump has largely handed Booker a pass since the New Jersey senator launched his campaign, but he had attacked him repeatedly prior to his 2020 bid.

In July 2016, following Booker's speech at the Democratic National Convention — during which the senator took shots at the then-GOP-nominee — Trump tweeted a cryptic critical message that left pundits scratching their heads.

"I know more about Cory than he knows about himself," Trump tweeted.

Then, last year, amid a bitter confirmation battle for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Trump again took aim at Cooker, who is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"Take a look at Cory Booker," Trump said during an October White House press conference."He ran Newark, New Jersey, into the ground. He was a horrible mayor; and he made statements that when he was in high school or college what he was doing. He actually made the statements. And now he's talking about Judge Kavanaugh."

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His comments appeared to reference a 1992 article Booker for a student newspaper when he was an undergraduate at Stanford University in whichhe wrote about a time in high school he attempted to grope a girl.

Kamala Harris

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks during the "She The People" forum in Houston on April 24, 2019.
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks during the "She The People" forum in Houston on April 24, 2019.Sergio Flores

Trump took a different approach with the California senator, paying her a modest compliment during an interview with The New York Times published in February.

When asked at that time who he felt was the Democratic Party's "toughest candidate" in the race, he said it was Harris.

"I would say, the best opening so far would be Kamala Harris," he said, although the Times' transcript of the interview noted that hemispronounced her name. "I would say, in terms of the opening act, I would say, would be her."

"I just think she seemed to have a little better opening act than others," Trump said.

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And while Trump hasn't so far insulted Harris directly, the White House has. In July 2018, the official White House Twitter account attacked Harris on illegal immigration, claiming she "supporting the animals of MS-13."

Candidates Who Haven't Grabbed Trump's Attention

On the other hand, there are several Democratic candidates Trump hasn't appeared to comment on — yet.

They include South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, California Rep. Eric Swalwell, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

He also hasn't lobbed anything at entrepreneur Andrew Yang, author Marianne Williamson or Miramar, Fla., Mayor Wayne Messam, who are all also running for president.

He said the press works hard day and night and that he likes their kids more than he likes them.

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