Trump’s campaign rhetoric conflicts with presidential tone

Donald Trump’s voice is everywhere. This should seem fitting, as he is the president of the United States, a job which requires frequent public speaking in many different settings, whether it be an inaugural address, state of the Union, or a simple briefing on new policy, but Trump is different from any other president that has ever lived in the White House.

One big difference especially is how his speaking style differs from other powerful orators who held the same office. Trump’s oratory skills vary in many different ways, from his objectives, to his tone, to his mannerisms — and many of these things can account for the enormous success he amounted to along the campaign trail, ultimately concluding with his election.

Campaigns and Trump’s speaking style go hand in hand. The way Trump spoke throughout his election campaign catered to the mood of the American people at the time and place of his speeches and helped him gain the necessary support to become the most powerful man in the world.

Trump is known for being skilled at loosely speaking to an audience, which is an advantage in settings like the campaign trail. He thrives on the energy of the crowd, and he is able to mirror the feelings of those he speaks to. Trump hammers his message by repeating it over and over using simple words and phrases of emphasis that are easily understood by wide audiences.

He is impulsive and informal, and loudly proclaims things he believes to be true, even if they aren’t, and people believe it.

This skill allowed Trump to easily gain allies among the electorate, who view him as a man who says what others are afraid to say. Trump’s ability to present himself as authentic and spontaneous aids him in categorizing typical “corrupt politician” rhetoric as stuffy and rehearsed. Trump’s speeches often contain language that separates himself from the audience, and he is able to portray a candid image of a man who pronounces himself the hero of our American story as he attempts to navigate and solve issues like immigration reform, trade agreements, and, of course, the wall.

He also uses the technique of “framing,” which gives his listeners an easy scapegoat to blame, and Trump provides himself as the way out. However, now that the election has been won and business is expected to be done, Trump’s style has caused him some bumps in the road.

Spontaneity, a previous strength when on the campaign trail, has led Trump to make false claims of electoral margins in his victory, crowd size, crime rates and many other things. Conversations often seem one-sided, and when Trump is corrected, he refuses to back down or take responsibility.

Trump’s first formal address was recently given to a joint-session of congress. The speech was a chance to step away from months of campaign rhetoric and media frenzy and finally highlight the true purpose of his administration.

Prior to the address, he had yet to deliver a formal speech that contained a tangible agenda or true plan of what he wanted to accomplish as president. He had not truly delivered anything but generalities or broad statements to the American people because this was previously used as a strength on the campaign trail.

Along with Trump’s strength of speaking off the cuff comes the contrast of his weakness of seeming ingenuine and stiff when he is given a piece to directly quote. He did warm up toward the end of his speech when talking about fallen servicemen, and his typical emphasis and repetition became more apparent.

While the campaign trail has come to an end, Trump’s speaking style has not.

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