Rhetoric Society Quarterly Aug 2023

Trump’s Thumbs: <i>Pollice Verso</i> and the Spectacle of Ambiguity

William Duffy

Abstract

This essay uses the figure of pollice verso, the “turned thumb” gesture synonymous with Roman gladiatorial contests, as a speculative tool to account for Donald Trump’s use of ambiguity in his rhetoric. Specifically, the essay argues that translating Trump’s demonstrative rhetoric into a deliberative frame can lead to misunderstanding one of his chief resources as a rhetor: the ambiguity of his “thumbful” rhetoric. Through a discussion of Third Sophistic rhetorical theory, affect, and the comedian Sarah Cooper’s parodies of Trump, the essay argues why countergesture should be considered just as indispensable as counterargument for rhetoricians who teach about affordances of digital media.

Journal
Rhetoric Society Quarterly
Published
2023-08-08
DOI
10.1080/02773945.2022.2146167
Open Access
Closed

Citation Context

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No articles in this index cite this work.

Cites in this index (7)

  1. Mercieca (2019)
    Dangerous Demagogues and Weaponized Communication
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  2. Roberts-Miller (2019)
    Demagoguery, Charismatic Leadership, and the Force of Habit
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  3. Skinnell (2019)
    Using Democracy Against Itself: Demagogic Rhetoric as an Attack on Democratic I…
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
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    Rethinking Rhetorical Education in Times of Demagoguery
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  5. Gunn (2018)
    On Political Perversion
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
Show all 7 →
  1. Ivie (2017)
    Trump’s Unwitting Prophecy
    Rhetoric & Public Affairs
  2. Vitanza (1987)
    Critical sub/versions of the history of philosophical rhetoric
    Rhetoric Review
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