A Critical Discourse Analysis of Donald Trump’s 2025 Inauguration Speech
Keywords:
التحليل النقدي للخطاب, تحليل الخطاب, الخطاب السياسي, اللغة البلاغيةAbstract
This paper attempted to conduct a critical analysis of Donald Trump’s inauguration speech in 2025. The speech was analysed through Van Dijk’s socio-cognitive approach. Three levels of analysis were employed: textual, cognitive, and social. The findings revealed that Trump employed several rhetorical appeals, including logos and pathos. Additionally, various rhetorical devices such as hyperbole, metaphors, and parallel structures were utilised to reinforce his ideas. The analysis also revealed underlying ideologies within the speech, including nationalism, inequality, and protectionism. Trump depicted Americans as law-abiding citizens, while he portrayed immigrants as criminals posing a serious threat to America. Furthermore, Trump effectively employed linguistic tools and rhetorical devices to characterise Biden’s administration as weak and incompetent in managing social and economic issues, while presenting himself as a redeemer of America.
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