President Donald Trump bestowed one of his favorite compliments upon controversial Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke over the weekend.
“A great book by a great guy, highly recommended!” Trump wrote while quote-tweeting a Clarke tweet promoting his book, “Cop Under Fire.”
A search of Trump’s tweets, past interviews, and speeches found that the president has placed a man on his pantheon of “great” guys in at least 71 instances.
No one has achieved the rating of “great guy” in Trump’s eyes more than athletes and sports-world figures, who make up more than 36% of the people to whom Trump has awarded the moniker. Of those, 10 are golfers or connected to the golf world while seven are football players or otherwise linked to the sport.
Politicians make up 18% of Trump’s “great” guys. Four of them currently serve in his administration.
Trump has additionally given a number of "great guy" shoutouts to media figures, Hollywood stars, and "Celebrity Apprentice" contestants.
Here's the definitive list of Trump's "great" guys:
American figure skater Evan Lysacek
Congratulations to Evan Lysacek for being nominated SI sportsman of the year. He's a great guy, and he has my vote! #EvanForSI
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2010
Fox News host Sean Hannity
Watched Sean Hannity last night -- a great guy.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2011
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckebee, a great guy, said the President should appoint me Treasury Secretary. China and OPEC would not be happy.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 13, 2011
Former Rep. Bob Turner of New York
Bob Turner--great guy, great businessman, will be a great Congressman. Was happy to help him win.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2011
Former Texas governor and current Energy Secretary Rick Perry
Had dinner with @RickPerry last night---great guy, straight shooter, impressive record.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 15, 2011
2012 Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain
Great meeting with @THEHermanCain yesterday in Trump Tower. Great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 4, 2011
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning
Eli Manning. Great Athlete. Great Guy. @NYGiants great teamwork!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 8, 2012
Former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter is playing phenomenal baseball. He is a total winner--and also a great guy. @DerekJeter
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 4, 2012
Hearst Executive Vice Chairman Frank Bennack
Frank Bennack, the head of Hearst, is a great guy and amazing leader. #SweepsTweet
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2012
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh
Congratulations to my friend @limbaugh on being named to the "Hall of Famous Missourians." Rush is a great guy & a great character.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 15, 2012
Golf commentator David Feherty
.@Fehertwit interview of me was the highest rated in @GolfChannel history. He is a great guy.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2012
Singer Andy Williams
Andy Williams has died. He was a friend of mine and a great guy.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2012
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees
Congratulations to @drewbrees on setting the @NFL record with 48 consecutive games with a TD pass. He is a great guy and player.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2012
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson
I am going to the @nyjets game with @woodyjohnson4, the owner of the team, a great guy.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2012
Former House Speaker John Boehner
I got to know @johnboehner very well—he is a great guy who will do the right thing for the country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2012
New York power broker Jerry Finkelstein
Jerry Finkelstein passed away last night--a great New York mover & shaker & a really great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2012
Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus
Was with @jacknicklaus yesterday--great golfer, great architect, great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2012
TV host Regis Philbin
@lin0729 Yes--he is a great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2012
Former NBA forward Dennis Rodman
.@NBA Hall of Famer @dennisrodman rebounds for a tremendous performance in his return to this year's All-Star @ApprenticeNBC! Great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2013
Former Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss
Jerry Buss was a great guy and friend. He will be missed!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2013
NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson
Congrats to @JimmieJohnson, a great guy, on winning Daytona!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2013
Twisted Sister lead singer Dee Snider
. @deesnider is a great guy & a total winner! He understood - he did not leave me any other choice. Look forward to keeping in touch.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 11, 2013
Golfer Adam Scott
@AdamScott is a great guy and player!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2013
Trump aide Dan Scavino
@DanScavino Dan-You are a great guy with a great family-amazing future!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2013
Rapper Lil' Jon
@Stiles_Dub @LilJon is a great guy and a great competitor who is respected by all!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 1, 2013
Golfer Sergio Garcia
"@CRCalderwood1: @realDonaldTrump What are your thoughts on Sergio?" A great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2013
NBA star LeBron James
"@IcyJordan: @realDonaldTrump do you like LeBron as a player and person? @KingJames" LeBron is a great player and a great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 17, 2013
Hon. Frank J. Blangiardo
"@violets69: @realDonaldTrump do you remember my grandfather Hon. Frank J. Blangiardo? http://t.co/t60kLFjYNt" Great guy.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 1, 2013
Trump's father Fred Trump
"@ollact: @realDonaldTrump To quote your own father is awesome and he is oh so right! Thank you Fred" My father was a great guy and teacher
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2013
Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler
.@IamStevenT visited me at @TrumpTowerNY- what a great guy! http://t.co/zriawmzJgb
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2013
@UmerRizwan2
"@UmerRizwan2: @realDonaldTrump Can i get a hello for all the Canadians down in Ottawa, Ontario ?" Hello Umer, you sound like a great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2013
Actor Mark Wahlberg
"@IMUNCIRCUM5IZED: @Bman2095 my heroes are either @realDonaldTrump or @mark_wahlberg" Mark is a great guy (and good golfer).
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 17, 2013
Golfer Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson’s final 66 round in @The_Open was amazing. Congrats on his well-deserved win. Amazing competitor & a great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2013
Golfer Nick Faldo
@NickFaldo006 Sir Nick is not only a great player, he is a great guy -and, by the way, doing a fantastic job for CBS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2013
Someone whose son was killed in the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center
I will be doing #GDNY Good Day N.Y. with Rosanna &Greg live at 8.30 A.M. I will be giving money to a great guy who lost his son in the WTC.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 12, 2013
Golfer Jim Furyk
"@tkdhardy: @realDonaldTrump how about Jim Furyk and his 59 today greatness" Jim Furyk is a great golfer and a great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2013
"The bus driver who saved the woman from jumping off the bridge"
The bus driver who saved the woman from jumping off the bridge was really cool, great guy. I'm going to send him $10, 000-he deserves it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2013
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady
Tom Brady is a good friend of mine, a great player, a great guy and a total winner! Fantastic comeback win-this is what our country needs!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2013
Legendary golfer Gary Player
Great day yesterday at @TrumpDoral unveiling the new Gary Player Villa http://t.co/ajkUZlYqbg Gary is a champion and a great guy.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2014
Former late night host David Letterman
I can't believe David Letterman has announced his retirement--he is a great guy! @Letterman
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 3, 2014
Golfer Bubba Watson
.@bubbawatson What a great player you have turned out to be but also, what a great guy! Congratulations on another fantastic Masters win.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2014
Actor Eli Wallach
Eli Wallach was a great actor and a great guy. My opinion-- his performance in The Good the Bad and the Ugly was his all time best!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2014
New Hampshire House Speaker Bill O'Brien
Congratulations to Bill O’Brien on being named the Republican Speaker of the NH House. Well-earned & well-deserved. A great guy.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2014
WWE CEO Vince McMahon
"@SparkleAWin: @realDonaldTrump Any chance of working w/@VinceMcMahon again soon... Always, Vince is a great guy and a winner!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2014
Director Steven Spielberg
#TBT With Steven Spielberg in the old days- a great guy! http://t.co/IQEUaq8cPe
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2015
Former Vice President Joe Biden's son Beau Biden
I would like to offer Vice President Biden my warmest condolences on the loss of his wonderful son, Beau. Met him once, great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2015
Former football star and commentator Frank Gifford
Wonderful Frank Gifford has just passed away at age 84. He was my friend and a truly great guy! Warmest condolences to family.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2015
Former Fox News CEO and chairman Roger Ailes
Roger Ailes just called. He is a great guy & assures me that “Trump” will be treated fairly on @FoxNews. His word is always good!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2015
Hall-of-Fame New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra was not only a great baseball player, he was a great guy. Yogi will be missed. https://t.co/bC9pIOnmEh
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2015
"Duck Dynasty" star Willie Robertson
With @williebosshog, a great guy, at our 20,000 people event in Oklahoma last week. https://t.co/VatQ8FKzoS
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2015
Pastor Robert Jeffress
"@Tea4Freedom: Pastor Robert Jeffres accurately gushes about Donald Trump http://t.co/iRcAPKF7yZ" Pastor Jeffres is a great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2015
Former Fox News commentator Bob Beckel's brother Graham Beckel
.@RobertGBeckel Please thank your brother for his nice words on television. Seems like a great guy and character! @CNN
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2015
Fox News host Eric Bolling
.@GeraldoRivera Thank you Geraldo for your nice words on @oreillyfactor tonight. You are a true champion! Thank @ericbolling - great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2016
"The founder and owner of Pizza Ranch in Iowa" (Adrie Groeneweg)
So nice to get an endorsement from the founder and owner of Pizza Ranch in Iowa! A great guy and great places! #CaucusForTrump
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 31, 2016
Former college football coach Lou Holtz
Honored to have received the endorsement of Lou Holtz - a great guy! #INPrimary #Trump2016 pic.twitter.com/AeGyODb37O
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 2, 2016
Former Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who is now Trump's attorney general
"@KathyCeurter: @realDonaldTrump please Mr.Trump make @SenatorJeffSessions your VP. He is a perfect running mate." He is a great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2016
Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski
From a June 2016 "Fox & Friends" interview after Lewandowski was ousted from the campaign:
"Well, first of all, he's a great guy and you see that a little bit, frankly. But he's a great guy and he did a great job. I couldn't have been happier."
NBA star Dwayne Wade
From an August 2016 Trump speech as recapped by CNN:
"Just yesterday, the cousin of NBA star Dwyane Wade, a great guy Dwyane Wade, was the victim of a tragic shooting in Chicago," he said. "It breaks all of our hearts to see it. It's horrible. It's horrible and it's only getting worse. This shouldn't happen in our country. It shouldn't happen in America."
Dr. Ben Carson, now the secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
From a September Trump speech:
"And I want to thank all the folks and there is somebody that's been very special to me, Dr. Ben Carson who's been ... Stand up, Ben. Come here, come here. Come here, Ben. This is a great man and great guy."
Former football coach and Hall-of-Fame NFL tight end Mike Ditka
Watch Coach Mike Ditka- a great guy and supporter tonight at 8pmE on #WattersWorld with @jessebwatters @FoxNews.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2016
Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim
Yes, it is true - Carlos Slim, the great businessman from Mexico, called me about getting together for a meeting. We met, HE IS A GREAT GUY!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2016
News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch is a great guy who likes me much better as a very successful candidate than he ever did as a very successful developer!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017
Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina
From a March New York Times magazine story that featured this Trump comment:
"Mark Meadows is a great guy and a friend of mine. I don't think he'd ever disappoint me, or the party. I think he's great. No, I would never call him out on Twitter. Some of the others, too. I don't think we'll need to. Now, they're fighting for their turf, but I don't think they're going to be obstructionists. I spoke to Mark. He's got some ideas. I think they're very positive."
Actor Charlton Heston
From an April Trump speech:
"No one was more proud to be American than the beloved patriot - and you know who I'm talking about - we remember on gatherings like today, your former five-term President, the late Charlton Heston. How good was Charlton? And I remember Charlton, he was out there fighting when maybe a lot of people didn't want to be fighting. He was out there for a long time. He was a great guy."
Gov. Rick Scott of Florida
From an April Trump speech:
"We have some incredible pro-Second Amendment governors here at the NRA conference, including Governor Scott of Florida. Where is Governor Scott? Great guy doing a great job."
Golfer John Daly
Congratulations to @PGA_JohnDaly on his big win yesterday. John is a great guy who never gave up - and now a winner again!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2017
Pope Francis
From Trump's June 2 weekly address:
"From Israel, I traveled to Italy, where Melania and I were greatly honored to visit the Vatican and meet Pope Francis. He was really wonderful - a great guy."
US ambassador to China Terry Branstad
From a June 21 Trump speech:
"Thank you. Great guy. Ambassador Branstad will be serving in Beijing, but he's going to be fighting for American farmers and for American workers and for Americans."
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim
Trump to a group of pool reporters in July:
"My friend, ah Kim, great guy, really is."
Former Time Warner CEO Steve Ross
From Trump's July speech to the Boy Scouts
"And I saw him at a cocktail party, and it was very sad because the hottest people in New York were at this party. It was the party of Steve Ross who was one of the great people - he came up and discovered - really founded - Time Warner, and he was a great guy. He had a lot of successful people at the party."
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke
A great book by a great guy, highly recommended! https://t.co/3jbDDN8YmJ
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2017