Cohesion, Persuasion, and Ideology: The Pragmatic Functions of Repetition in Trump’s Rhetoric

Abstract

This study examines how repetition functions as a pragmatic device in Donald J. Trump’s political rhetoric (2015–2021). Focusing on both campaign rallies and official addresses, we employ corpus linguistic methods and critical discourse analysis to quantify and interpret uses of anaphora, epiphora, lexical repetition, and recurring slogans. Our research question asks: How do these forms of repetition contribute to textual cohesion, persuasive effect, and ideological framing in Trump’s speeches? We find extensive repetition patterns across genres. For example, Trump frequently uses anaphora (e.g. repeated sentence-start “We will…”) and epiphora (“again” repeated at ends of clauses), generating a rhythmic emphasis. Key slogans like “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) recur prominently. In a corpus of ~19,000 words drawn from rallies and State of the Union speeches, we count dozens of such instances (e.g. 31 cases of “We will”, 29 of “again”). These repetitions serve cohesive functions (linking clauses and reinforcing themes) and persuasive ones (heightening emotional intensity and solidarity). They also index Trump’s populist ideology: for instance, slogans like “MAGA” become ideological shorthands, and the inclusive “we” versus antagonistic “they” divides foster in-group solidarity. The findings highlight repetition as a deliberate pragmatic strategy in Trump’s discourse, supporting existing literature on its rhetorical power.