Critical Discourse Analysis of US President Donald Trump's Speech in the UN General Assembly 2018

This study conducts an analysis of Donald J. Trump’s 2018 speech at the United Nations General Assembly through the lens of Van Dijk’s (2005) Socio-Cognitive Model, with a particular emphasis on political and critical discourse analysis. It investigates the mechanisms by which Trump defends his positions and persuades his audience, notably through the use of hyperbole and numerical exaggerations to underscore his accomplishments. The research posits that political speech has a notable impact on influencing public ideology. The linguistic analysis reveals variations in Trump’s communication strategies, highlighting his use of boastful and exaggerated statements to promote his achievements. The study employs Van Dijk’s Ideological Square along with a socio-cognitive approach as its theoretical and analytical frameworks, focusing on four key strategies. The findings suggest that Trump prioritizes exaggeration over logical argumentation and frequently engages in aggressive rhetoric against nations that challenge America’s superpower status

Critical discourse analysis · Indirect speech · Linguistics · Political science · Politics · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Global Political and Economic Relations · Law · Philosophy · Rhetoric and Communication Studies