During the 2016 campaign, one of Donald Trump’s biggest applause lines was pointing out that Barack Obama couldn’t say the words “radical Islamic terrorism.” Only he had the courage to call the terrorists what they are, not the RINO establishment or the Democrats. Only Trump.

Now he’s president and after the first major terrorist attack to occur during his term, he seems unable to say those words himself. For some reason he has opted for calling them “evil losers” which is even more tepid than the language Obama used.

Some people are analyzing this as if there is some deft psychological strategy at work. More likely this is just evidence of Trump’s lack of depth and his weak command of the English language.  Anyone who has been following politics in the age of Trump will know that “loser” is a word Trump uses to identify (and to feebly insult) anyone who disagrees with him. “Loser” is often modified by predictable adjectives like “major” or “total.” Then he might add a comment about how the “loser’s” career or business is failing. This he probably believes to be the coup de grâce.

Trump believes he is the definition of what it means to be a winner. Couple this narcissism with his limited vocabulary and “loser” in his mind means “not like Trump.” He naturally believes this to be the ultimate insult.

These tweets are only the tip of a very large yet laughably juvenile iceberg.

Really dumb @CheriJacobus. Begged my people for a job. Turned her down twice and she went hostile. Major loser, zero credibility!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2016

Dope Frank Bruni said I called many people, including Karl Rove, losers-true! I never called my friend @HowardStern a loser- he’s a winner!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2016

I have watched sloppy Graydon Carter fail and close Spy Magazine and now am watching him fail at @VanityFair Magazine. He is a total loser!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2015

Why does @CNN bore their audience with people like @secupp, a totally biased loser who doesn't have a clue. I hear she will soon be gone!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2015

Bill Kristol has been wrong for 2yrs-an embarrassed loser, but if the GOP can't control their own, then they are not a party. Be tough, R's!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2016

.@NRO Not much is as "dead" or irrelevant as National Review thanks to guidance of Goldberg, a total loser! Get some real talent or fold!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2015

Word is that @NBCNews is firing sleepy eyes Chuck Todd in that his ratings on Meet the Press are setting record lows. He's a real loser!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2015

.@FrankLuntz works really hard but is a guy who just doesn't have it – a total loser!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2014

"@pencey_mouth: remember when donald trump blocked me. i'm proud of myself" NO, YOU'RE A LOSER!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 13, 2013

.@MichelleMalkin would be nothing without being on the @seanhannity show. I don’t see what Sean sees in her—loser!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 22, 2013

It would seem as though the only thing separating the terrorists who savagely murdered Manchester concert goers is that they are “evil” while people like Michelle Malkin, Jonah Goldberg, Bill Krystal, S.E. Cupp, et al are just garden variety losers.

Trump is a man of few words. I don’t mean he doesn’t ramble on and on behind the podium. He can certainly do that. What I mean is that Trump only knows a few words. He’s a man who’s vocabulary never made it out of the 8th grade.

I think he realizes this and it is one of his many insecurities for which he compensates with combativeness and braggadocio. It’s why Trump reacted like a 14 year old girl when Jonah Goldberg observed that Trump was tweeting like a 14 year old girl. Trump’s impulse is to try and belittle those who disagree with him. I think the effort he puts into it rises in proportion to how much smarter than him he fears his target is.

So why is he falling back on this “loser” reflex with regard to terrorists? He is in the middle of an overseas trip and he has probably been coached not to unload on radical Islam right after making nice with the Saudis. Without that option, he’s left with precious little with which to express an opinion. So the terrorists are losers, just like everyone else Trump dislikes. Only evil.