The Power of Words and Polarizing Rhetoric as a Tool of Electoral Seduction: The Anatomy of Donald Trump’s Speeches
The Power of Words and Polarizing Rhetoric as a Tool of Electoral Seduction: The Anatomy of Donald Trump’s Speeches

Summary/Abstract: This article analyzes Donald Trump’s campaign speeches from the 2024presidential race, beginning with the launch rally in Waco, Texas (March 2023),and culminating with the Madison Square Garden speech (October 2024). Conducted from a European perspective, the study employs a multimodal approach that combines quantitative measures (lexical diversity, sentence length, readability)with qualitative thematic coding. Results indicate a consistent reliance on short sentences, low readability indices, and repetitive vocabulary, enhancing accessibility and memorability, thereby confirming the conclusions of prior comprehensive studies in the scholarly literature. Thematic analysis highlights recurrent devices such as self-praise, populist appeals, simplification, and the alternation of fear and hope. The rhetorical signature of Trump’s discourse is characterized by acyclical structure—enthusiasm, threat, promise, mobilization—aimed at fostering emotional cohesion and reinforcing collective identity. Without adopting an ideological stance, the study concludes that Trump’s discourse is rhetorically effective,regardless of whether one approves of its content, illustrating the enduring power of language to reshape democratic politics.

• Details
• Contents