Politics Rhetoric and Advertising the Use of Ethos Pathos and Logos

¶ … Aboard the Trump Train: Latest Ad Shows Trump Supporters Out in Force

Donald Trump's television ad spot employs the three rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos and logos in a way that is framed by Lakoff's theory of narrative: the ad is framed by diverse supporters voicing their support for Trump as POTUS at the beginning of the 30-second spot and by Trump himself announcing his own vision, which is to "make America great again." Thus, the ad is framed by popular support on one hand and benevolent vision on the other. In between these two frames is a kind of steamroller narrative that suggests that the Trump campaign is an unstoppable force of nature -- a nationalistic groundswell that has united people of all ages, races, ethnicities and genders. This paper will discuss Trump's from the perspective ethos, pathos and logos and show how its frames effectively move it in a singular direction that leads to viewer to the inevitable conclusion: Trump will win and America will be great again.

The tone of Trump's ad is primarily positive: it doesn't even mention any other candidate running in the race; instead it focuses solely on Trump and how much support he has among so many different people, young and old, black, white, Asian, Middle Eastern and Hispanic. The ad's main purpose is to show that Trump has across-the-board appeal, and this purpose is set up by the frame that opens the one side of the end -- the confessions of admiration and hope that so many people have placed in the Trump candidacy. There is an air of jubilation, triumph, expectation, progress, momentum, surging excitement, and even a kind of militant defiance in the face of establishment politics -- all of which comes through via the music that plays overtop the ad and that underscores the direction of the spot. That direction makes up the other frame that comes along at the end of the ad: that frame is Trump himself.

Thus, the first half of the ad is dedicated to showing the swelling crowds of fans and supporters who have flocked to Trump as though he were a deliverer and they the oppressed Hebrews of Egypt. Then the ad is given over to Trump, who announces that America will not be lost under his watch. In this manner, he is portrayed as the savior of the American Dream -- the hope of tomorrow.

The ad uses ethos to establish Trump's credibility by appealing to the voice of the voting public: the first speaker in the ad states that he came to hear about Trump's "business plan for America," which lets the viewer know that Trump is all about business (which builds on the brand image that Trump has cultivated for himself as a business man); others follow stating that Trump "tells it like it is," and that he will "make America great again." Essentially, ethos is established by way of popular support: if so many people think so highly and so positively of Donald Trump then there must be a very good reason for this. So many different people cannot all be wrong, can they? The visual cues alone suffice to answer that question: showing confetti, streamers, signs, people holding placards, throngs of crowds come to join in the Trump movement -- all of it a visual testimony to the power that is Donald Trump. The aural cues, however, also work to establish ethos: they include the voices of everyday Americans as well as a surging, triumphant tune that uplifts the spirits of the viewer and calls him or her to join in the movement. The ad is paid for by Donald Trump, which is stated in text at the bottom of the screen at the end of the ad, after Donald has come on and spoken that he approves of this message.

The logos of the ad conveys an upbeat and populist message: Trump is the candidate that will unite the land and deliver positive results. There is no negative tone or connotation in the message: it is one of power, authority, and movement forward. There is no sense that the opponents are even worth mentioning: they cannot hold a candle to the Trump campaign -- therefore, why give them any attention? This is the gist of the message of this ad. Language is used to convey a sense of admiration, jubilation (finally, a candidate has come along who actually understands what is wrong with the country and how to fix it and is not afraid to speak the truth), and it is direct and affirmative. There is no argument presented, just simply the voice of popular support before Trump is shown on stage at the end announcing that he will not allow America to be lost. The message suggests that Trump is at the forefront of an emerging army, leading the way in a war to take the country back from those who have led it off the straight and narrow path.

As for pathos, the ad appeals to values of national pride and a desire to be the shining city on the hill. It also appeals to the value of having strong businesses that create jobs for people, that will allow the country to have a future and that will unite people across the board. Trump is shown not as a divider but as a unifier. Thus, the ad drives home to its audience the idea that Trump is a true leader not just of a certain segment of the population but of a wide swath of the population. The intended audience may be anyone who was on the fence about Trump, unsure of whether he was for real or wondering what sort of people supported him: this ad quickly shows that he is for real and that all sorts of people like him. The music the plays over the ad is used to convey a feeling of enthusiasm and energy, as though the people in the ad were about to literally march right off the screen and make America great this very instant. The music builds to a swelling crescendo just as Trump takes the stage to repeat his promise to the American people.

The ad aired after the Iowa caucus and could be considered a response to Cruz's victory over Trump in that caucus. Rather than attack Cruz, the ad aims to show that Trump has support and may be meant to encourage supporters, who possibly were thinking that Trump was losing steam and momentum. This ad shows that there is no loss of momentum or enthusiasm -- and the response to the ad over the course of the next few primaries and caucuses could be determined perhaps by the fact that Trump went on to win the majority of these contests. In this sense, it may be considered that the ad was effective in achieving its aim of encouraging voters to get out and vote because the Trump steamroller is full steam ahead.