Commentary: What does being labeled a 'RINO' even mean? Thomas Quirk, For the Express-News Feb. 17, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail Was former President Ronald Reagan a RINO? He worked with Democrats, fought the Cold War, and achieved immigration reform.MIKE SARGENT /AFP /Getty Images The term “RINO”, an abbreviation for “Republican in Name Only,” has been used for yearswithin the Republican Party. It is meant to be derogatory. I have never seen a definition or had it explained to me. So, I started thinking of what it might mean. In doing so I fell back to looking at Republican presidents who traditionally were considered the titular head of the party. Their biographies are the bedrock of the Republican Party.