From John McCain to the 'fake news' media, here's everyone Trump definitely has called 'losers'

Trump is embroiled in a furious row about whether or not he called fallen American soldiers "losers" and "suckers".

While the president denies using such language on this occasion, it's fair to say that "loser" is one of his all-time favourite insults.

Aside from this hotly-contested comment, here's 6 times Trump definitely did call someone, or something, a loser.

1. John McCain

Trump has also denied having ever called John McCain, the late US senator who was held prisoner during the Vietnam war, a "loser".

He said that claims to the contrary are "a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 election".

But he did.

On the campaign trail in Iowa, Trump said of McCain:

He lost [his bid for president], so I never liked him as much after that because I don't like losers. 

He's not a war hero. He's a "war hero" because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, okay? I hate to tell you. 

And even tweeted out a link to the story afterwards.

2. Sadiq Khan

Trump branded the mayor of London a "stone cold loser" shortly before touching down in the UK for an official visit last year.

Apparently rankled by Khan's criticisms of him – and perhaps by the giant inflatable Trump baby that flew over London on his arrival – Trump derided Khan's intelligence and mocked his height.

3. Hillary Clinton

Not only did Trump describe his former political rival as a 'loser', but as the "biggest loser of all time".

An interesting way to describe someone who beat you by popular vote.

4. People who don't agree with him

In 2013, Trump sent out his "best wishes to all", including his "haters and losers", on September 11th.

The bizarre tweet instantly sparked a backlash – and yet Trump didn't delete it until two years later.

5. Anthony Scaramucci

Trump is fond of suddenly and unceremoniously firing White House staff (a hang up from his Apprentice days, perhaps?).

But even so, Scaramucci's tenure as Trump's Director of Communications was particularly short, and his departure particularly egregious.

After just ten days, Scaramucci was fired for ranting about Trump's administration to a journalist at The New Yorker. Trump then described him as a "loser who begged to come back".

6. The mainstream media

In 2017, Trump announced that he would be presenting "Fake News Awards" to the "losers" in the mainstream media.

This was something he actually (sort of) did.

The winners, or losers, depending on how you look at it, were announced on the Republican Party website.

CNN raked in the most awards.

Trump certainly has favourite words. He's bizarrely a huge fan of calling things "beautiful" – even when it's totally inappropriate to do so.

He also, clearly, loves to deride his rivals as losers. Because even such a childish, playground insult is apparently not beneath the president of the United States.