A "bully pulpit" is a conspicuous position that provides an opportunity to speak out and be listened to. This term was coined by United States President Theodore Roosevelt, who referred to his office as a "bully pulpit," by which he meant a good platform from which to advocate an agenda. [1] Roosevelt used the word bully as an adjective meaning "superb" or "wonderful", a more common usage at that time. [2] [3]
The phrase bully pulpit was first printed about in The New York Times in the year 1909. [1]
In 2017, an NPR news article described the use of the bully pulpit in the era of then President Donald Trump, "Theodore Roosevelt seemed to understand how the relationship between his aims and the function of the media could work to mutual benefit. Reproducing that understanding remains a challenge for the relationship in the early months of the Trump era." [1]
