The Power of Poetic Rhetoric: Evidence from The Discourse of Trump’s Presidential Campaign

This study investigates the rhetorical strategies employed by Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, focusing on how his discourse constructed power relations, mobilized political support, and reshaped landscape of American political communication. Employing Clark’s (2009) framework of rhetorical-poetic formulas, the analysis examines campaign speeches, social media posts, and public press released statements across three dimensions: the construction of polarized “us versus them” narrative, the strategic use of Twitter to amplify populist messaging and bypass traditional media gatekeeping, and the development of emotional appeals—particularly fear, anger, and nostalgia—to galvanize voters engagement. The findings reveal a consistent reliance on hyperbola claims, confrontational language, and emotionally charged slogans to position Trump as a defender of “real Americans.” His use of poetic formulas—organizing, mnemonic, disciplining, verbomotor, and headlining devices—enhanced narrative coherence, ideological consistency, and cultivated audience relatability. Repetitive phrases and nostalgic imagery functioned as mnemonic anchors and identity markers, sustaining binary opposition and fostering digital echo chambers. By examining Trump’s rhetoric within the broader context of populist communication, this study underscores its disruptive influence on democratic discourse and highlights the critical importance of analyzing the intersection of language, identity, and digital platforms in contemporary populist rhetoric.