President Donald J. Trump’s Enemy Image Construction in the 2019-2020 Persian Gulf Crisis Cover Image

President Donald J. Trump’s Enemy Image Construction in the 2019-2020 Persian Gulf Crisis
President Donald J. Trump’s Enemy Image Construction in the 2019-2020 Persian Gulf Crisis

Author(s): Marta Kobylska
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Language studies, Communication studies
Published by: Polskie Towarzystwo Retoryczne
Keywords: enemy image; international crisis; presidential rhetoric; use of force

Summary/Abstract: This article concerns enemy image construction in post-Cold War presidential foreign policy crisis rhetoric. It identifies the elements of President Donald J. Trump’s enemy imagery in the 2019-2020 Persian Gulf crisis. The analysis is based on Robert L. Ivie’s concept of savagery and John R. Butler’s and Jason A. Edward’s typology of savage imagery. The article makes a claim that Trump represented Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani as a modern savage to justify the US’ taking military action to eliminate the enemy. A close reading of the president’s language is followed by a discussion of the implications of his choices for the American convention of foreign policy crisis rhetoric.

  • Issue Year: 9/2022
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 43-61
  • Page Count: 19
  • Language: English
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