Donald Trump Inauguration Speech Analysis

Donald J. Trump is a wealthy businessman that is primarily invested in real estate. Trump amassed recognition and power with the inheritance of Inheriting one million dollars from his father, to invest. Whilst operating his real estate business he becomes a celebrity of sorts. He reaffirmed his celebrity status by appearing in multiple interviews such as the Late Night Show and movies such as “Home Alone Two.” Paired with his books such as "The Art Of The Deal", Trump gained small levels of fame. Foregoing 2016, Trump had no prior political experience in the public sector. Despite this, Trump ran for president and eventually won in the 2016 election. He never had any political experience of public sector work. This led to his unorthodox campaign methods which created multiple controversies surrounding the 2016 election. In his inauguration speech after a contentious election due to his lack of political experience president Donald J trump addresses the nation. Utilizing a change in pronouns, figurative language, sentences structures, diction, and emotional appeals to curate a sense of nationalism and unity and to assure the crowd and those watching from home that his presidency would fix Washington.

At the beginning of his speech, he addresses the American people through the pronouns of we when describing how he's going to change the system in Washington to benefit the people, not just the politicians. Reaffirming the nationalistic approach he would use later. Doing so lets the crowd understand that he is including the audience at the inauguration and all those watching across America. Trump notes the division between Congress and the people by saying.“Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth.” Continuing to use parallelism to reinforce the idea that Washington always wins while the people they "supposedly" represent never reap the so-called victories. His lack of political experience lends to the fact he isn't “corrupted” by Washington. That he's the outlier that can change the system to benefit the people, not the politicians in power. ”...the United States of America, is your country.” That he’ll take America from the politicians and give it back to the people, the people that hold the country together.

Continuing to describe the problems the average American faces. He uses figurative language such as “Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation..”  Giving the audience imagery of how dire the situation has become. That the American people are losing while not just the politicians are winning but so are the foreigners. Accentuating the problem by using contrasting statements such as “We’ve defended other nation’s borders while refusing to defend our own;

And spent trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. We’ve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon.” He does so Americans can realize the problem stretches out of their own country. That the sweat and work they put in isn’t for their benefits, But for foreigners. Creating a sense of anger and disappointment in Washington. Appealing their emotions saying that it's time that it changes. That his presidency will be the start of a new era for America. That he isn't Washington but a true representative for the people. That he’ll put America first.

To further his agenda of “making America great again”. He creates a sense of unity and a sense of nationalism. Addressing the audience as his equal using pronouns such as we and vivid imagery. “We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams. We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation. We will get our people off of welfare and back to work – rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor. We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and Hire America”.

Repeating what not he will do but what America will do. That he’s isn’t just the president making the speech but is also part of the crowd listening. That it isn't Trump's venture but America's. Continuing to use repetition to empathize with what he’ll do for Americans. All the benefits the average American will gain from his presidency. That he’ll put America first. Too let the audience know they’re not black, white, brown but American. Trump uses imagery and contrast to get rid of inherent individuality within his presentation of america. “We all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American Flag. And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky....” Once again using we pronouns to include himself as an American, as part of the people he's going to help. Saying we bleed the same red blood of patriots and contrasting the setting of the city and country is him attempting to get rid of the differences we have and accentuate the similarities all Americans share. That it isn’t what the color of their skin is or where therefrom but the freedoms and glories we share as Americans.

Trump uses effective strategies to let the audience know he’s the one to fix Washington. Structuring his speech to show the problems of Washington and how he’ll put the general public first, not congress. Letting the audiences know their part of the Populus using figurative language and pronouns to create a sense of one and nationalism under the guise of were all Americans that share the same values.