WAVING THE BLOODY SHIRT AGAIN: RHETORICAL CODES OF EMOTION IN TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN SPEECHES

Abstract

This study investigates the emotional appeal in Donald Trump’s 2024 RNC speech by identifying and analyzing specific rhetorical codes that he repeatedly uses. While many scholars examine Trump’s rhetoric in the broader context of campaign strategy or political communication, fewer have conducted close rhetorical analyses of his speeches. This creates a gap in understanding how emotional connection is strategically constructed through language. This research asks: In what ways do content and stylistic approaches contribute to Trump’s emotional appeal and connection with his audience? Drawing on Elvin T. Lim’s concept of conversational rhetoric, this paper closely analyzes the speech using rhetorical codes such as Waving the Bloody Shirt, False Intimacy, and Synecdoche. These rhetorical strategies are shown to evoke emotions like empathy, fear, and anger, reinforcing Trump’s outsider persona and persuasive strength—while also creating the right conditions for him to promote his goals to an audience already emotionally primed to accept them.