Month/Year of Graduation

5-2024

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Department

Communication

First Advisor

Whitney Gent, Ph.D.

Abstract

The following rhetorical analysis identifies the rhetoric that was used by 2024 Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Donald Trump. Rhetoric can be thought of as the means and ways that we, as social beings, use language to create meaning and exchange symbols to better understand the world around us. This rhetorical analysis aims to identify the ways in which certain words are being used and the reasoning behind why they were used by the rhetor, or the speaker in a rhetorical situation. The ultimate focus of the following rhetorical criticism is to examine how ideographs, or words that encase political ideologies, are being used by both Haley and Trump. Each rhetorical artifact is a speech conducted by the candidate in different settings with different audiences, which can identify the distinct ways each candidate presents their arguments to their supporters. I will then be able to summarize how each candidate’s use of ideographs helped them to justify their own beliefs and change how their audience perceived their opponents. I conclude that while Haley portrays herself as a visionary leader with motherly characteristics, Trump achieves rhetorical success by focusing on past grievances to appeal to the audience’s emotions.

Download

Included in

Rhetoric Commons

Share

COinS