In politics, RINO stands for "Republican In Name Only" and is a disparaging term used to describe politicians of the Republican Party whose political views are seen as insufficiently conservative. The term was first used in print in 1992 in the New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper. It was invented as a backronym to deliberately pronounce like "rhino," in order to associate disloyal Republicans with the animal, the rhinoceros. The term is considered so disparaging that it is often used as a political weapon against those seen as disloyal.

RINOs are often targeted by conservative organizations during Republican primary campaign season, and a "RINO Hunters Club" formed by the National Federation of Republican Assemblies has taken political action against those they considered RINOs. The term has evolved over time, and in the Trump era, it no longer refers to ideological conformity on issues like tax cuts, border security, and abortion, but rather to opinions on the former president himself. A RINO is someone who doesn’t stand behind Trump and his America first agenda.

It is important to note that no politician defines themselves as a RINO, and the term is reserved for others. The term is considered a slur and a negative term that nobody likes being called.