Donald Trump’s Speech Portrait (Based on the Material of Elction Speeches in the Campaigns of 2016 and 2020)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of Donald Trump’s speech portrait during pre-election communication. Pre-election communication is a specific genre of political discourse combining institutional, ritualistic, rhetorical features. The aim of a political speech is to change the perception of reality by the audience, when it comes down to candidates running their election campaign, vote swinging by means of manupulative verbal behaviour. According to the research, the speech portrait of Donald Trump as a presidential candidate is rather diverse. The discourse of the US former President can be classified as a hybrid combining the features of institutional, ritualistic and rhetorical communication. It merges constituent characteristics of the pre-election discourse: participants and their roles, chronotopos, manipulating strategies, rituality, symbolism. Being an experienced speaker, Trump facilitates currently topical arguments (toposes) in his speeches; patriotism is one of the most essential for him, according to the research. Some tools used by the candidate are typical of all participants of the pre-election discourse (for example, creating the circles of «us» or his supporters and «them» or his rivals in the election race). A typical feature of practically all analysed texts has been distingushed, which consists in using a meaningful slogan for his agitational narration.