Abstract

On January 6, 2021, Donald Trump’s supporters breached the United States Capitol, ending the country’s 223-year streak of peaceful power transfers. Utilizing Maurice Charland's constitutive rhetoric theory, this study investigates Donald Trump's January 6, 2021, address at the "Stop the Steal" rally as a transition from rhetoric to action. Examining how Trump's rhetoric constructs and reinforces his supporters' identities, the analysis reveals that the address fostered a collective identity and shared purpose. Through an electoral fraud narrative, Trump portrayed a perceived reality where the election was unjustly taken from him. Casting himself and his supporters as victims of a corrupt system, he urged the reassertion of authority against perceived oppression. Weaponizing conspiratorial beliefs, Trump blamed corporations and the media, alluding to their alliance against his interests. Understanding why and how Trump supporters are devoted to him, as well as comprehending the mechanisms and ways Trump leverages this devotion, is crucial.

Key Words: Constitutive Rhetoric, Metaphorical Framing, Narrative, Donald Trump.

About the Author

* Martha Ene Unobe holds a Master’s in communications from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, USA and she is currently based in Greensboro with her family. Her interests revolve around Postcolonial and Cultural Studies, African and Nigerian Diasporic Discourses, Pedagogy, and Political and Social Rhetoric.

^JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 16, No. 2, October 2024, pp. 20-31

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

Article Citation

Unobe, M. E. (2024). Understanding Donald Trumps’ rhetoric and the collective identity of his audience: A constitutive analysis of the “Stop the Steal” address. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 16 (2): 20-31.

Full Article

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