From the leader’s lips, to the public’s ears: The state of exception, administrative evil, and the enemy in President Trump’s rhetoric during COVID-19

Abstract In the throes of COVID-19, heads of state like President Donald J. Trump have the power to declare a state of exception and use their moment in the limelight to help the public make sense of the pandemic. Unfortunately, sometimes leaders use the state of exception as a vehicle for acts of administrative evil against would-be enemies. Therefore, it is essential to interrogate whether heads of state like President Trump are using the limelight to harm others. As I show through a qualitative content analysis of 87 communication events, instead of unifying and reassuring the public with cogent solutions, President Trump has leveraged the spotlight to name enemies: China, COVID-19, and the press. Consequently, the President may soon sanction or intensify acts of administrative evil in the United States.