METAPHOR AND METONYMY IN TRUMP’S 2025 INAUGURAL ADDRESS: A STYLISTIC AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
Keywords:
metaphor, metonymy, political discourse, critical discourse analysis, stylistic analysisAbstract
This study conducts a stylistic and critical discourse analysis of metaphors and metonymies in President Donald J. Trump’s 2025 inaugural address. Drawing on systemic-functional (Halliday, 1978), conceptual metaphor (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980), and critical metaphor frameworks (Charteris-Black, 2011; Fairclough, 1995; Wodak, 2009), we identify and classify figurative language in the full transcript of the address. A rigorous coding procedure (with intercoder reliability checks) yielded a corpus of all metaphoric and metonymic expressions. Results show pervasive structural metaphors (e.g. NATION IS FAMILY, POLITICS IS WAR), orientational and ontological metaphors, and synecdoche/metonymy (e.g. “America,” “our flag,” “the Titanic.”) that reinforce themes of power, nationalism, unity, and ideological stance. Frequency analysis (presented in tables) reveals war and journey metaphors are particularly frequent, aligning with Trump’s populist style. In critical discourse terms, these tropes serve to legitimize policy positions, polarize insiders vs outsiders, and evoke national destiny, consistent with prior studies (Dragojević, 2023; Cabrejas-Peñuelas, 2020; Pilyarchuk & Onysko, 2018). The discussion interprets how Trump’s figurative rhetoric frames America as a family on a heroic journey, juxtaposed against corrupt elites and foreign “invasions,” illustrating Wodak and Fairclough’s notion of ideology in language. This analysis contributes new insights into the ideological function of metaphors in modern political speeches and suggests avenues for further research on figurative framing of populism.
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