Psychologists explain what may be driving Trump's use of this new 8-word catchphrase

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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks, as he signs executive orders and proclamations in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 9, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

One distinguishing trait of President Donald Trump's second term compared to his first term is his increased usage of a catchphrase that he's starting to use more often in his social media posts. And some psychologists and other experts think Trump is using it for a very specific reason.

HuffPost reported Monday that the president's pattern of including the phrase "thank you for your attention to this matter" has piqued the attention of various experts. Claire Robertson, who is an assistant professor of psychology at Maine's Colby College, remarked that the phrase is "really different than how he typically posts."

"He’s still using a lot of the kind of moral-emotional language that we know attracts attention," Robertson told HuffPost in reference to Trump's posts.

"But, 'thank you for your attention to this matter’ is not negative or moral, so it’s especially interesting,;” she continued. "It doesn’t play super nicely with some of the established findings. It’s just weirdly formal."

Holistic psychotherapist Shenikka Moore-Clarke told HuffPost that the phrase "carries undertones of control and authority," and noted that people often use language to "position themselves as the one who sets the terms of engagement." She also observed that the catchphrase can be a way of directing a reader how to feel about what someone is saying, pointing out: "It’s [subtle] but can be read as being controlling."

"It’s less about gratitude and more about command," she told HuffPost, adding "it’s a way of asserting control, implying that readers should comply or take note."

Robertson told the outlet that the catchphrase is usually not seen on his less serious posts, like memes ridiculing Democrats or promoting his son's book. Rather, she called attention to Trump using the phrase when announcing things like presidential appointments or calling on Democrats to vote for the Republican bill to reopen the federal government.

“We use linguistic cues all the time when we aren’t even realizing it,” Robertson said. "Has anyone ever pointed out that you only call your partner a specific nickname when you’re mad? This is an example of that."

Click here to read HuffPost's report in its entirety.

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