Trump uses more religious terms in his set-piece addresses than any other president in the last 100 years.
Articles on Rhetoric
Displaying 61 - 80 of 126 articles
Because dramatic tension fuels attention, Trump’s words work to generate tension, anxiety and conflict. We need to react with civility, care and calm to undo the cycle of attention and persuasion.
A politician who wields a comeback with skill can use it as both a bludgeon and a shield, damaging the opponent without hurting their own popularity with voters.
The conservative cable news channel particularly favors the term when explaining opposition to Donald Trump. This framing of the news can lead Fox viewers to see the world as us versus them.
Dog whistles constitute coded language that only some voters can hear. But Trump does not hide his bigotry when talking about Mexican ‘rapists,’ the ‘China virus’ and ‘law and order.’
An analysis of Donald Trump’s speech at Mount Rushmore reveals the underbelly of his constant use of heroic rhetoric.
The use of military metaphors in some contexts can be helpful. In medicine? Not so much.
Because sarcasm is often difficult to discern and improperly used, it can operate as a linguistic mulligan. But deploy the excuse too much, and you might raise some eyebrows.
Donald Trump uses language like a dangerous demagogue. The author of a book on Trump’s rhetorical skill gives a guide to the six most important rhetorical strategies Trump uses.
An analysis of the expressions used by Donald Trump to designate Covid-19 sheds light on his political calculations and on the evolution of his relationship with China in recent weeks.
Compared to other politicians who tend to be indirect and evasive, Nkrumah was direct, explicit and assertive.
A critic of Obama’s two terms explains how the 44th president’s personality and his politics of ‘least resistance’ prevented him from rising to the moment.
The stories we tell about our histories can have a powerful impact on current events – and research shows how.
Theresa May is courting ethnic minority support for her Brexit deal with her rhetoric on EU nationals ‘jumping the queue’.
In Kenneth Burke’s ‘The War of Words,’ the late rhetorical theorist picks apart the little ways news articles can subtly influence readers – and harden divisions.
Trump’s surrogates have deployed tried and true rhetorical techniques to defend the president.
Aristotle coined the term “enthymeme” to refer to arguments, words and ideas that are broadly accepted among the people of a nation. So what happens when enthymemes start to disappear?
Bishop Huddleston’s criticism of Enoch Powell’s incendiary “Rivers of blood” speech was both a history lesson and a call to action against racism.
What we regard today as scientific evidence can trace its roots back to the ancient art of persuasion.
‘Paul, Apostle of Christ’ is an enjoyable movie but its sugary message is like a can of soda: easy to swallow but not good for you with ideals that have have been manipulated to project a golden era.
Top contributors
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Professor, Department of Communication Arts, University of Waterloo
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Professor of Communication and Journalism, Texas A&M University
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Spécialiste de la politique américaine, Sciences Po
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Assistant Professor of Writing, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
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Roger J. Kreuz is a Friend of The Conversation.
Associate Dean and Feinstone Interdisciplinary Research Professor, University of Memphis
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Professor of Communication Studies, Colorado State University
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Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin is a Friend of The Conversation.
Frank and Bethine Church Endowed Chair of Public Affairs, Boise State University
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Assistant Professor Rhetoric and Communication, State University of New York, College at Geneseo
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Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Communication Consultant, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Professor of Communication, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
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Adjunct Professor at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University
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Foundation Member of the First Year College, Victoria University
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Senior Lecturer and Senior Digital Learning Developer, UCL
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PhD Candidate, Department of Comparative Literature and Culture, Queen Mary University of London
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Professor of Psychiatry, Medical College, Cornell University