Interpretive challenges with American presidential discourse described as joking

Abstract When an American president speaks in a way that is later characterized as joking/kidding, a wide range of interpretations become possible. At a minimum, there are two basic interpretations: serious and non-serious. At the other extreme, there may be as many nuanced interpretations as there are audiences for the discourse. This study examines the “just/only joking” strategy outside of the face-to-face context and how it has been enacted in relation to presidential discourse. Using as data three prototypical examples for which public interpretations were available, the study explores how the two main audiences (currently polarized political groupings in the United States) tend to interpret the “joking” in relation to the performance style of former President Donald J. Trump either as a harmless joke or as a grave threat.