Name Calling
Name Calling: a label in place of an argument.
How to spot it
A label pinned on a person or group in place of a reason to agree or disagree with them: "radical", "extremist", "traitor", "puppet", "career politician". The label does the arguing, so there is nothing left to check.
It is often attached to a name, as in "radical Jane Doe", so that the label and the person arrive together and you meet the verdict before the record.
What doesn't count
Describing what someone did isn't name calling, even when it's unflattering: "voted against the bill three times" is a record you can check. A job title or a party affiliation isn't a label in this sense either.
Reporting that someone used a label isn't the reporter calling names, when the report rejects or examines it. But an outlet that repeats an attack line as it stands is carrying it to you, so we flag it there too.
Real examples
Each was flagged by Semblen's model, then chosen to stay on this page, so the examples don't change from day to day. A quote in a news article may be the outlet reporting what someone else said, and an ad may be quoting its opponent. Follow each link to check it in context.
In the news
“monstrous human being”
“satan-worshipping jew”
In 2026 campaign ads
“Miss Information”
“can lie about his record all he wants, but we know what he really is”
“radical left lunatic”
“just another radical leftist”
“far-left Democrat”
“Radical Socialist Jon Ossoff”
In government statements
“this criminal, this thug, this gangbanger, this possible murderer”
“a man as weak and feeble as Donald Trump could sink to”
Related techniques
Something wrong or unclear on this page?
Tell us. A person reads every note. Use Yes / No under any example if it isn't really name calling: two readers saying no takes it off the page.
Check something yourself
Paste an article, a speech or a video link into the analyzer and Semblen marks the words that use name calling or any other technique, and says why. It flags rhetorical techniques, not political tilt.