“I'm very Good at and maybe that's Why I'm Center Stage…”: Pronominal Deixis and Trump

Abstract

Researchers have noted that when delivering speeches, politicians tend to evoke solidarity through the use of linguistic forms such as personal pronouns. This article presents an analysis of pronominal choices (e.g., person deixis I, you, we, they) issued by Donald Trump during 10 presentations (e.g., town halls, victory speeches). The study uses a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework in analyzing his speeches using mixed methods. The findings suggest that redundant uses and shifts in deitic expressions were employed as persuasive tools to identify, garner support, and polarize audiences.