Donald Trump, Twitter, and Islamophobia: The End of Dignity in Presidential Rhetoric about Terrorism
Document Type
Preprint
Publication Date
Spring 3-22-2020
Journal / Book Title
Presidential Rhetoric on Terrorism under Bush, Obama and Trump
Abstract
Donald Trump’s rhetoric is markedly different than that of just about every other American president. Trump’s speeches on terrorism and his related Islamophobia and anti-immigrant rhetoric are examined in this chapter. Trump’s use of Twitter and view of the presidency as a “permanent campaign” keep his followers in a state of near-permanent mobilization. Trump uses the rhetoric of fear to push his followers against Muslims and immigrants by linking terrorism to both groups. As Jeffrey Tulis opines, Trump is America’s first demagogue. This chapter highlights how Trump’s demagoguery and novel method for communicating with his followers has framed the terror threat and, in turn, eroded American society. Trump’s view of the terrorist as “Other” has also created a large blind spot where domestic terrorism is concerned.
DOI
10.1007/978-3-030-30167-5_4
Publisher
Palgrave Pivot, Cham
Journal ISSN / Book ISBN
ISBN 978-3-030-30167-5
MSU Digital Commons Citation
Rubin, Gabriel, "Donald Trump, Twitter, and Islamophobia: The End of Dignity in Presidential Rhetoric about Terrorism" (2020). Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 140.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/justice-studies-facpubs/140
Included in
Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons, President/Executive Department Commons, Terrorism Studies Commons
Comments
Published in final form as:
Rubin, G. (2020). Donald Trump, Twitter, and Islamophobia: The End of Dignity in Presidential Rhetoric About Terrorism. In: Presidential Rhetoric on Terrorism under Bush, Obama and Trump. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30167-5_4