Rhetorical Analysis of Hillary Clinton's Concession Speech

Hillary Clinton, presidential candidate and former Secretary of State, in her 2016 concession speech publicly conceded the election to Donald Trump, recognizing the pain of the defeat while calling on her supporters to allow Trump to lead with an open mind. Clinton developed her argument through the use of various thought-provoking, effective rhetorical devices.

One of Clinton’s most effective methods of stimulating emotion amongst the audience is her careful diction; specifically, her choice of pronouns. It is quite noticeable that in her argument Hillary rarely refers to herself in the singular form. An example of this can be found in paragraph two where Clinton states, “This is not the outcome we wanted or we worked so hard for and I’m sorry we did not win this election…”. Repeatedly using words such as “we” instead of “I” reaches out to the American citizens to grab their attention and establishes herself as a candidate who wants to work together in unity. Moreover, “we” is a rhetorical device that allows the speaker to distance themselves from whatever is being said, making it appear more palatable because it appears to come from the group as a whole rather than an individual.

Along with her skillful usage of pronouns, Clinton also draws on ethos during her speech to warrant an amicable shift of power and to allow her audience to trust and be heedful to her words. This is illustrated in her speech, as Clinton congratulates Donald Trump and “offers to work with him on behalf of our country”. To further persuade, she adds, “I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans” (2). An audience is more likely to trust a speaker whom they see as selfless and upholds the values of their audience. Wishing her opponent success and volunteering to work with him boosts her image amongst the patrons of her competitor, therefore, she will be well-liked by both parties.

Clinton also utilizes the rhetorical strategy, pathos, to influence and persuade her audience. Near the start of her speech, Hillary states “This is painful and it will be for a long time, but I want you to remember this. Our campaign was never about one person or even one election, it was about the country we love and about building an America that’s hopeful, inclusive and big-hearted”(3). Clinton uses emotionally-charged words and acknowledges the pain that was felt following her loss to inspire sympathy amongst her supporters. Hillary describes America as “the country we love'' and “hopeful, inclusive, and big-hearted”. Clinton marries her statements with pathos in order to coax her audience to feel love and pride for their contributions to the campaign. By once more playing on the emotions of the audience, Hillary motivates a call to action; “You will have successes and setbacks, too. This loss hurts, but please never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it”(21). She describes her misfortunes as painful, which inspires sympathy yet motivates the audience to not never stop fighting until their dreams become a reality. 

As outlined above, Clinton’s concession speech unquestionably embraces all the principles of a rhetorically compelling text. By employing ethos, pathos, and carefully choosing her use of pronouns Clinton was able to draw her audience in and allow them to become emotionally invested in her speech.