Donald Trump's Words

Abstract

Donald Trump’s campaign speeches have impressed some and outraged others. Yet relatively little is known about how his rhetoric has changed over time and how it compares to that of other politicians, both in the US and abroad. We analyze a monthly series of Trump’s addresses in 2015-24, comparing them to speeches by other U.S. presidential candidates and various world leaders, past and present. We document that Trump’s use of violent vocabulary has intensified over time—reflecting increasing attention to wars but even more to crime—and is now among the most extreme of any democratic politicians studied. Simultaneously, Trump’s use of words related to economic performance has declined, matching a general trend among candidates of both parties. Although containing populist elements, Trump’s rhetoric diverges from the populist stereotype, particularly in his relatively infrequent references to “the people.” He increasingly embraces an exclusionary populism focused on vilifying out-groups.

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