Rhetoric of Rage: How Trump’s Language Shaped a Decade of Division

5 min readNov 3, 2024

So, here we are, nine long years of Trump speeches, where every word, every phrase, every “You’re gonna love this, folks” has been meticulously analyzed by folks with advanced degrees and no sense of humor. What did they find? That Trump’s talking like a guy at a bar fight instead of a president at a podium. And it’s not a fluke, folks; it’s a strategy. A very deliberate choice to rile people up, push the right buttons, and get folks so amped up they’d cheer for a ham sandwich if it promised to “make America great.”

What the Eggheads Found

The researchers tell us that Trump’s language has gone from slightly aggressive in 2016 to nearly double the violent rhetoric by 2024. He’s using words that, in polite society, are reserved for action movies, not the State of the Union. They even ran the numbers and said Obama’s speeches had about 0.79% violent language while Trump’s hit 1.6% — because yeah, we’ve gotta be quantitative about how many times a guy says “bloodbath” in his speeches, just in case we’re all taking that too lightly.

And these aren’t just words. He’s not getting all riled up because there’s a war or a national emergency. No, he’s dropping violent buzzwords for effect, for impact, because he knows there’s a group of people out there who eat that stuff up. It’s not by accident; it’s intentional. Every syllable crafted to get folks good and angry. Because angry people aren’t thinking — they’re just reacting. And boy, does he love that.

Trump the Strongman

Now, they go even further, comparing Trump’s language with the classics — Kim Jong Un, Fidel Castro. Yeah, you know you’re in the big leagues of authoritarian speechcraft when people are saying your oration style is right up there with North Korean dictators. And here’s the kicker: those guys aren’t just using violence in words because it sounds cool; they use it to whip up fear, to say, “Hey, folks, you need me.” It’s the good ol’ “I’m the only thing standing between you and chaos” routine.

So What’s the Big Deal?

Here’s where it gets interesting, and frankly, terrifying. All this talk of bloodbaths, invasions, threats — it’s not just words anymore. It normalizes this feeling of constant aggression, and pretty soon, that seeps out into the public. People start to think it’s okay to treat political opponents like enemies in a war. Next thing you know, half the country’s waving flags like it’s a battlefield and the other half’s battening down the hatches. This rhetoric doesn’t just encourage a healthy debate — it nukes the possibility of it. If you’re not with him, you’re against him, and suddenly it’s every man for himself.

We saw a taste of it on January 6. All that pumped-up language, all those “calls to action,” and — surprise, surprise — a whole bunch of people thought, Hey, that sounds like my cue! People who’ve been marinating in this talk for years suddenly think storming the Capitol is patriotic. Because when you fill the airwaves with violent calls and us-vs-them mentality, people forget that the “them” in “us vs. them” are actually just the folks down the street.

The Appeal of “Anger Politics”

And then we get to the heart of Trump’s genius here, because this guy knows what he’s doing. He taps into what they call “anger politics.” There’s a magic to making people mad and scared at the same time — it’s like an adrenaline shot for your approval ratings. It makes people think they’re the ones who’ve been wronged, and it makes them feel part of something big, something righteous. And that’s exactly how you get good folks on your side. Make ’em mad enough, and they’ll do whatever you say.

And the best part? He’s always got a scapegoat ready: the media, political rivals, people who eat kale, you name it. All these “enemies” are out there, trying to take away “your country.” And boom — you’ve got yourself a loyal, fired-up crowd ready to go to the ends of the Earth.

Long-term Mess We’re in

Now here’s the million-dollar question: What happens if this keeps going? I’ll tell you. Democracy doesn’t work without a little thing called mutual respect. Without some ground rules, like treating other people’s opinions as valid even if you don’t like them. And when all we hear is “bloodbath this, bloodbath that,” respect goes out the window, and everyone’s just sharpening pitchforks. Pretty soon, the democratic process starts looking less like a peaceful exchange of ideas and more like a wrestling match with no referee.

In the end, this isn’t just about words. This is about reshaping how people view each other. It’s about breaking down trust, one speech at a time, until people stop seeing their neighbors as neighbors and start seeing them as enemies. And if you’re in the business of governing, that’s a hell of a problem to create.

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