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Donald Trump's words

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  • Nikita Savin
  • Daniel Treisman

Abstract

Donald Trump’s campaign speeches have impressed some and outraged others. Yet relatively little is known about how his rhetoric has changed over time and how it compares to that of other politicians, both in the US and abroad. We analyze a monthly series of Trump’s public addresses in 2015-24, comparing them to speeches by other U.S. presidential candidates and various world leaders, past and present. We find that Trump’s use of violent vocabulary has increased over time—reflecting increasing attention to wars but even more to crime—and now surpasses that of all other democratic politicians we studied. Simultaneously, Trump’s use of words related to economic performance has declined, matching a general trend among presidential candidates. Finally, although containing populist elements, Trump’s rhetoric diverges from the populist stereotype in notable ways, particularly in his relatively infrequent references to “the people.” He increasingly exemplifies a negative populism, concentrated on denigrating out-groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Nikita Savin & Daniel Treisman, 2024. "Donald Trump's words," NBER Working Papers 32665, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:32665
    Note: POL
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    JEL classification:

    • P0 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - General

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