A Rhetorical Analysis of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in Donald Trump’s Second-Term Victory Speech

Abstract

This study analyzes the use of rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos, and logos, the three modes of persuasion, employed in Donald Trump’s non-consecutive second term victory speech delivered on November 5, 2024, in Florida, United States of America. Donald Trump delivered this speech as soon as he won the election against Kamala Harris. There are many studies on the rhetorical strategies used by Donald Trump in his past speeches. However, there are a few studies that look into his 2024 non-consecutive second term victory speech. This study examines how, after losing one election, he still managed to convince his audience to support his comeback. With the aim of filling this gap, this study focuses on persuasive language of Donald Trump victory speech. It focuses on ethos, pathos, and logos as he builds credibility (ethos) by positioning himself as a representative of common people. He triggers pathos (emotion) by talking about the power of patriotism and applies logic and reason (logos) to make people believe in his campaign, its reliability and its promises. On the basis of these objectives, this research makes a qualitative rhetorical analysis within the framework of Aristotle’s rhetorical theory. It helps us find out the word selection made by Trump to emotionally moved the sentiments of the audience and win their favor. Thus, the findings show that carefully selected language can work as the building blocks of public perception and future political communication skills.