Rhetoric & Public Affairs Sep 2019

The Populist and Nationalist Roots of Trump’s Rhetoric

Robert C. Rowland

Abstract

Abstract Donald Trump’s campaign violated every rule of presidential campaigns, and few commentators thought that he had a chance to win the presidency. His success can be traced to the strong affective connection that he created with core supporters. Trump used a rhetoric of nationalist populism with a charismatic outsider persona, a rhetorical pattern that functioned as an affective genre, to create this connection. This pattern is evident in campaign rallies, his speech at the Republican National Convention, and his inaugural address. Trump’s successful use of a rhetoric of nationalist populism has important implications for the status of American democracy.

Journal
Rhetoric & Public Affairs
Published
2019-09-01
DOI
10.14321/rhetpublaffa.22.3.0343
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Topics
rhetorical criticism genre theory
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Winslow (2023)
    Thinning the Herd: COVID-19 and the Rhetoric of Trumpian Catastrophe
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly

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