Investigating Trump's Discourse to Understand His Resonance with Audiences
Location
SU-216
Start Date
2-5-2025 10:30 AM
Department
Linguistics
Abstract
This paper reviews the existing literature on the linguistic analysis of Donald Trump's political speeches, focusing on key features like word choice, repetition, and language use, while demonstrating how these linguistic strategies help build rapport and reinforce his political identity. Trump's language fosters a sense of familiarity and authenticity, contributing to his connection with supporters. However, much of the research on how Trump's rhetoric resonates with his audience has been conducted by scholars outside the U.S., which limits its insights due to the lack of primary knowledge and the influence of cultural differences. Additionally, this body of research almost exclusively examines speeches written by speechwriters, often neglecting the significance of Trump's impromptu rhetoric. These unscripted moments, marked by spontaneity and emotional engagement, are crucial to understanding why Trump's language resonates so powerfully with his audience. While the existing literature offers valuable perspectives on his rhetorical techniques, a gap remains in the study of his impromptu speeches. This paper argues that focusing on these unscripted speeches could fill this gap and provide a more comprehensive understanding of how Trump's rhetoric shapes political identity and engages listeners. Such an exploration could offer important insights into the role of language in contemporary American politics.
Faculty Sponsor
Richard Hallett
Investigating Trump's Discourse to Understand His Resonance with Audiences
SU-216
This paper reviews the existing literature on the linguistic analysis of Donald Trump's political speeches, focusing on key features like word choice, repetition, and language use, while demonstrating how these linguistic strategies help build rapport and reinforce his political identity. Trump's language fosters a sense of familiarity and authenticity, contributing to his connection with supporters. However, much of the research on how Trump's rhetoric resonates with his audience has been conducted by scholars outside the U.S., which limits its insights due to the lack of primary knowledge and the influence of cultural differences. Additionally, this body of research almost exclusively examines speeches written by speechwriters, often neglecting the significance of Trump's impromptu rhetoric. These unscripted moments, marked by spontaneity and emotional engagement, are crucial to understanding why Trump's language resonates so powerfully with his audience. While the existing literature offers valuable perspectives on his rhetorical techniques, a gap remains in the study of his impromptu speeches. This paper argues that focusing on these unscripted speeches could fill this gap and provide a more comprehensive understanding of how Trump's rhetoric shapes political identity and engages listeners. Such an exploration could offer important insights into the role of language in contemporary American politics.