The business of building a wall: Donald Trump’s rhetorical signature
| Author | Mary E Stuckey,Brandon M Johnson |
| DOI | 10.1177/0263395720929269 |
| Published date | 01 May 2022 |
| Date | 01 May 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Special Issue Articles |
https://doi.org/10.1177/0263395720929269
Politics
2022, Vol. 42(2) 156 –169
© The Author(s) 2020
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/0263395720929269
journals.sagepub.com/home/pol
The business of building
a wall: Donald Trump’s
rhetorical signature
Brandon M Johnson and Mary E Stuckey
The Pennsylvania State University, USA
Abstract
This essay offers a metaphoric analysis of Donald J. Trump’s announcement speech. We argue that
by focusing on two of his metaphors, the presidency as a business and his promise to build a wall,
we are provided a better understanding of the symbolic structures that underlie his presidency,
explaining both the nature of his support and the way he approaches his job as president.
Keywords
metaphor, presidential rhetoric, US presidency
Received: 20th November 2019; Revised version received: 2nd April 2020; Accepted: 20th April 2020
When businessman-turned-reality-television-star Donald Trump (2015) announced his
run for the presidency on 15 June 2015, he promised to build a wall, warning that Mexico
was sending ‘people that have a lot problems’. These people were ‘bringing drugs’ and
some were even ‘rapists’. Unfortunately, the United States had ‘no protection’ from these
people, so later in the speech, Trump offered a solution. He said:
I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I’ll build
them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have
Mexico pay for that wall.
This claim may be read as hyperbole. It raises questions of feasibility and morality.
How would such a wall be built, how would he convince Mexico to pay for it, and would
building a wall be consistent with American values? His rhetoric concerning the US rela-
tionship with Mexico also ignores larger foreign policy contexts, framing international
relations as a business negotiation in which Trump can ‘make’ his opponent pay for his
demand. The statement could be read simply as populist demagoguery (Kellner, 2016;
Mercieca, 2019). Yet, a literal reading of the quotation misses its full power. Trump’s wall
is both real and metaphorical; it exists as a structure and also structures much of his
Corresponding author:
Mary E Stuckey, Department of Communication Arts and Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, 241
Sparks Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Email: mstuckey@psu.edu
929269POL0010.1177/0263395720929269PoliticsJohnson and Stuckey
research-article2020
Special Issue Article
Get this document and AI-powered insights with a free trial of vLex and Vincent AI
Get Started for FreeStart Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
