Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Reed College of Media
Department
Communication Studies
Committee Chair
Steve Urbanski
Committee Member
Emily Corio
Committee Member
Elizabeth Cohen
Committee Member
Joseph Jones
Abstract
Riddled with fake news, the 2020 election is a unique moment in history where fake news, stemming from former President Donald Trump, led to a public demonstration that quickly devolved into a violent and controversial event. Through the lens of a Neo-Aristotelian rhetorical criticism, the five canons of rhetoric will analyze Trump’s “Save America” speech he held hours prior to the rally providing insights into how the power of words can precipitate people to incite action. Through a verbatim examination of the first and last 10 minutes of the speech, with the middle portion summarized, Trump’s speech provides insights to understand what is true and false about the 2020 election. Further, this rhetorical criticism adds to the growing literature regarding rhetoric, media, trust and democracy as the United States faces growing political polarization due to a battle on reality.
Recommended Citation
Ruggieri, Jade, "A Neo-Aristotelian criticism of Trump’s “Save America Speech” utilizing the five canons of rhetoric" (2023). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 11716.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/11716
Included in
Journalism Studies Commons, Mass Communication Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons, Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons