louche
/lo͞oSH/
adjective
adjective: louche; comparative adjective: loucher; superlative adjective: louchest
disreputable or sordid in a rakish or appealing way.
"the louche world of the theater"
Origin
early 19th century: from French, literally ‘squinting’.
Use over time for: louche
The problem for the general election is that, as the left-leaning polling group Data for Progress recently concluded, “Voters do not currently perceive Trump as a threat to abortion rights.” In a February poll, only 24 percent of voters held Trump responsible for state abortion bans. (14 percent blamed Biden for them.) The group’s earlier research found that only 48 percent of voters, and 63 percent of Democrats, believe Trump would attempt a national abortion ban.
For those who follow politics closely, this might seem bizarre, particularly since Trump has boasted about appointing the Supreme Court judges who killed Roe. But voters evidently have a hard time connecting the louche, impious ex-president with the harsh prohibitions his term in office made possible.
Trump obviously wants to keep it that way. As The New York Times has reported, he has privately voiced support for a 16-week federal abortion ban with exceptions for rape, incest and life-threatening emergencies, but publicly, he tries to avoid talking about abortion restrictions, recognizing them as a liability.
| Michelle Goldberg, How Gretchen Whitmer Met the Moment