Critical discourse analysis of Donald Trump’s and Joe Biden’s speeches

Abstract

This thesis analyses the rhetoric of Donald Trump and Joe Biden in their Inaugural and State of the Union Addresses using the textual dimension of Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) model. The research aims to examine how the two presidents construct representations of “the people” and how their rhetorical strategies differ in vocabulary, grammar, and textual structures. The paper begins with a literature review focusing on presidential rhetoric, studies of Inaugural and State of the Union Addresses, and research on Trump and Biden. The short overview of the methodology presents the questions suggested by Norman Fairclough for the textual level of analysis that serve as the basis for the analysis. The analysis shows that Trump’s speeches are characterised by populist, polarising, and informal language, emotional appeals, repetition, and an “us versus them” narrative. Biden’s rhetoric, in contrast, is more inclusive and unity-oriented, emphasising democracy, collective responsibility, and national healing. The findings also show that both presidents rely strongly on the pronoun “we” to construct collective identity, although the function of this inclusiveness differs ideologically. Keywords: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Inaugural Address, State of the Union Address, CDA, Norman Fairclough