Wisconsin Lawmakers Top List for F-Word Usage in Social Media

Reps. Derrick Van Orden and Mark Pocan rank high nationally for profanity in public posts

Apr. 10, 2026 at 11:18am

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A vibrant, abstract painting featuring overlapping, fragmented geometric shapes in clashing colors, conceptually representing the heated partisan rhetoric in Congress.The frequent use of profanity by some lawmakers on social media reflects the growing divisiveness and lack of civility in American politics.Madison Today

A new analysis has found that two members of Congress from Wisconsin, Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden and Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan, are among the top users of the F-word in their public social media posts, ranking second and third nationally in frequency of the expletive's usage.

Why it matters

The findings highlight the increasing prevalence of profanity and coarse language in political discourse, raising questions about decorum and civility in public office. The high rankings of the Wisconsin lawmakers also reflect the partisan divide, as members of both parties have been criticized for using inflammatory language.

The details

The review examined the public social media accounts of all members of Congress, tallying the number of times the F-word was used. Only one other member of Congress was found to use the expletive more often than Van Orden and Pocan, who were neck-and-neck in their usage of the profanity.

  • The analysis was conducted in April 2026.

The players

Derrick Van Orden

Republican U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district.

Mark Pocan

Democratic U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district.

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The takeaway

The high ranking of the Wisconsin lawmakers in using profanity on social media reflects the broader trend of increasingly coarse political discourse, which some see as undermining civility and decorum in public office.