MANIPULATIVE PROPERTIES OF ENGLISH ELECTIVE DISCOURSE

Abstract

In an era of heightened political polarization and media influence, the strategic use of language has become a central mechanism of control in political communication. This study examines the linguistic manipulation tactics employed during Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, with a focus on how rhetorical strategies are orchestrated to distort perception, polarize public opinion, and reinforce in-group/out-group dynamics. Drawing on recent linguistic and psychological frameworks by Abdullai (2025) and Gasparyan & Harutyunyan (2021, 2022), the analysis identifies a cohesive system of manipulative techniques—emotional appeals, false authority, contextual omission, and lexical distortion—that serve to consolidate narrative dominance in real-time political discourse. Through qualitative analysis of Trump’s speeches and debate performances, the study reveals how language is weaponized not incidentally, but systematically, to construct ideological loyalty and obscure factual reality. The findings underscore the need for applied critical discourse analysis to expose and decode the mechanisms of political manipulation, while future research may explore demographic susceptibilities to such rhetorical strategies.