My research topic is analyzing the effect of Twitter as a medium of communication on Trump’s rhetoric: how this changes the persuasiveness and the types of rhetoric that are able to be employed. I potentially might connect this to the Cold War and how Trump’s communication is reminiscent of Cold War rhetoric and the resulting implications. This research topic is relevant because Twitter is President Trump’s main medium for communicating with the public, and it is important to analyze how this medium really effects how he communicates.
Current literature on the topic discusses the type of rhetoric that Trump uses in his Tweets and how this rhetoric changed over time. Others have discussed how Trump might use his “antics,” vulgar language, and provocative language as a tool in order to get attention from the electorate and use it to distract from critics in the media or critics from other political parties. Some of the literature discusses how Trump communicates in a way that preempts the media and critics and makes it seem like the news that the media or critics provide is simply slander or propaganda against Trump.
What I hope to expand on is how Twitter uniquely changes and affects how Trump communicates or how the persuasiveness of Trump’s messages are uniquely affected by this media. I also want to connect Trump’s rhetoric to Cold War rhetoric and how this type of “Us vs Them” rhetoric or divisive rhetoric impacts American society and affects the already divided political and social climate.
The Rhetoric of Containment 