DONALD TRUMP’S COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES DURING THE 2025 PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL SPEECH: ANALYSIS AND IMPLEMENTATION

Abstract

Donald J. Trump’s inaugural address on January 20, 2025, represents both a ceremonial commencement of a presidential term and a concentrated exercise in populist persuasion. This study conducts a discourse-analytic reading of the official transcript, integrating frame analysis and rhetorical scrutiny to identify the dominant communicative strategies: the crisis–rescue frame, the construction of an “us vs. them” opposition, the systematic use of anaphora and triadic lists, and performative nonverbal cues that amplify verbal content. The analysis includes selective direct quotations (original English with Ukrainian translations) to illustrate how specific phrasings serve as rhetorical hooks that resonate with constituencies. Findings indicate that the speech’s persuasive power derives from linguistic simplicity, rhythmic repetition, and evocative metaphors of national renewal – elements that rapidly mobilize affective engagement. However, the study also highlights structural risks: amplification of social polarization, creation of inflated expectations, and potential erosion of institutional trust over time if rhetorical promises are not matched by concrete institutional measures. The paper offers applied implications for political communicators, media analysts, and civic actors: namely, how to interpret, contextualize, and respond to emotionally charged inaugural rhetoric without inadvertently reinforcing polarizing frames. Methodologically, the study suggests a combined toolkit (textual coding, performative analysis, audience-response measurement) for future empirical work. Directions for follow-up research include targeted surveys across demographic groups, focus-group discourse studies, and longitudinal tracking of rhetoric-to-policy congruence to assess how inaugural rhetoric translates (or fails to translate) into durable political outcomes.