Journal of Contemporary Rhetoric, Vol. 6, No.3/4, 2016, pp. 62-73.
Digital Demagogue: The Critical Candidacy of Donald J. Trump Amy E. Mendes Over the last several months, businessperson Donald Trump has taken the lead in the Republican primary race. His flamboyant personality and unusually aggressive speech has drawn much attention and criticism. Journalists and academics have posited that Trump’s rhetoric is that of a demagogue. This essay catalogues the existing definitions of demagoguery, examines how Trump’s rhetoric may qualify, and outlines some ways in which demagogues may function differently in a digital world. Keywords: digital demagogue, election, rhetoric, scapegoat, xenophobia
The long road to businessperson Donald Trump’s nomination as the presidential candidate for the Republican party has drawn much attention from rhetorical scholars. His flamboyant personality and unusually aggressive speech have prompted both journalists and academics to label him a demagogue. If this assessment is accurate, Trump may be positioned to become the latest in a category of leaders who have historically left devastating legacies. However, accusations of demagoguery should not be made lightly, as they may be used to silence or discredit marginalized voices.1 Since having a demagogue in the office of President would be disastrous, the question of determining whether his rhetoric fits the description is an important one. Even if Trump’s bid is unsuccessful, his campaign is raising issues and lines of argument that have not previously been associated with presidential campaign rhetoric, or even with polite society. Roberts-Miller has described how argument and ideology can both shape policy and influence individual behavior.2 In the digital age, a demagogue has the capacity to reach more people than ever before, as the internet serves as both the catalyst and the cauldron in the creation of a movement. This candidate, at this time, may be in a uniquely powerful position to influence political rhetoric in the United States for decades to come. This essay examines existing definitions of demagoguery, analyzes Trump’s rhetoric, including some of the circumstances that may have contributed to his rise, and outlines how socio-economic context may be less significant in understanding demagoguery in the digital age than it has been in previous eras.
Amy E. Mendes (M.A., West Chester University of Pennsylvania) is a lecturer in the Communication Department at Dalton State College and a doctoral candidate at the University of Alabama. She can be reached for comment on this article at amendes@daltonstate.edu. 1 J. Michael Hogan and David Tell, “Demagoguery and Democratic Deliberation: The Search for Rules of Discursive Engagement,” Rhetoric & Public Affairs 9, no. 3 (2006): 479-87. 2 Patricia Roberts-Miller, Fanatical Schemes: Proslavery Rhetoric and the Tragedy of Consensus (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2009). ISSN 2161-539X (online) © 2016 Alabama Communication Association