Meaning of Teflon Don | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Nickname for John Gotti (1940–2002), American crime boss.
   slang
2. Nickname for Donald Trump (born 1946), President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025).
   US, derogatory, humorous

Examples

“On June 23, 1992, Mafia boss John Gotti, who was nicknamed the "Teflon Don" after escaping unscathed from several trials during the 1980s, is sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty on 14 accounts of conspiracy to commit murder and racketeering.”

“Former President Trump – long deemed Teflon Don for his ability to dodge legal matters – is facing a series of serious criminal charges brought by the Justice Department, which unsealed a 37-count indictment on Friday related to his handling of classified documents.”

“We can choose [Donald Trump] a charismatic man who claims to be a billionare having inherited much of his fortune and way of thinking from his father, […] Or we can choose [Kamala Harris] a woman of color, whose parents were world-renowned scientists in the fields of economics and cancer research, and who devoted much of her life to prosecuting criminals much like her “Teflon Don” opponent.”

“Not to mention some media outlets regularly calling Trump a “second Adolf Hitler.” Vice President Kamala Harris claimed that Trump was already writing out his list of enemies and would go after his adversaries if elected. Talk about projection! Yet, in this election, Teflon Don managed to appeal to the majority of voters and convince them he would take us from the dark days of the Biden-Harris malaise and destruction.”

“Here in America, no one is above the law. Except for Donald Trump. Teflon Don.”

CEFR level