Political Correctness and the Trump Presidency Assessed

Introduction: Trump, Political Incorrectness, and the Presidency

When Donald Trump launched his campaign for the highest office in the land, most people—including most political analysts—did not believe he stood a chance. Here was a reality TV show host and real estate billionaire known for his brash language and taste for controversy. He simply did not fit the political mold, which, due to the constant need to balance the interests of various stakeholders and ensure that no constituency feels aggrieved, was designed to encourage politicians to be politically correct (PC). Yet voters seemed to like that Trump had a non-PC, no-holds-barred approach: it endeared him to millions of viewers of his television show around the world.

Perhaps most surprisingly, this inexperienced political newcomer ended up beating seasoned politicians—with the first surprise coming in the primaries, where he managed to defeat a total of 16 established GOP candidates. He later outmaneuvered the Hillary Clinton political machinery and clinched the presidency. Today, he continues to confound both friend and foe. Trump's ascent to the presidency presents a complex phenomenon that encompasses the disciplines of political science, sociology, cultural studies, media, and language—for by weaving his way through these fields one can see more clearly how Trump managed to beat the odds by resisting the traditional candidate's application of political correctness in language and using fiery, combative speech to win over the hearts and minds of his base.

The Trump presidency ultimately raises the question: are we in the middle of a cultural revolt against a concept that has long defined the world of politics—that is, political correctness? If the answer is indeed yes, how did we find ourselves here, and what are the consequences?

Defining Political Correctness in American Political Culture

From the outset, it is important to note that according to Mooney and Evans (2015), political correctness can be defined as the use of language in a way that is neither demeaning nor discriminatory (p. 38). However, politically correct language is not valued by all Americans to the same degree. As NPR (2016) observes, political correctness pits the concepts of inclusion and civility against free choice and free speech. Political correctness is essentially a liberal approach to language and social norms that individuals on the Right view as an unconstitutional form of social control.

Certain words that were once part of the common parlance have been deemed offensive in the new era of political correctness. Words like "fag" or "retard," which carried negative or insulting connotations, are now virtually banned in popular discourse and media. Yet in the 1980s, in the popular film Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, "fag" was a pejorative frequently used by the starring characters. Other words related to racism or sexism—such as "nigger" or "bitch"—are permitted socially when used by members of the affected groups but not when used by outsiders. Dave Chappelle can make liberal use of the word "nigger" in his stand-up comedy, but when Michael Richards used the same word to insult hecklers during his own stand-up performance, he was socially excoriated and effectively driven from the business. Some words are thus acceptable for some people but not for others within a politically correct culture.

According to Marron (2019), political correctness is responsible for an extremely restrictive socio-political environment. Prior to Trump's rise—and to some extent even during his tenure—it had become the norm for commonsense, truth, and national interests to be suppressed in an attempt to advance ideals closely linked to equality and diversity. From this perspective, political correctness is seen as not only stifling self-expression but also imposing a duty not to offend others, often at the expense of honesty.

Trump's Anti-PC Rhetoric and Its Appeal

Donald Trump raised the issue of political correctness directly in public. In an August 2015 appearance on Meet the Press, Trump complained that the culture of political correctness was suffocating free speech (Morini, 2020). Conway (2020) argues that deep down, people do not like being barred from expressing their deepest feelings. From this perspective, President Trump can be seen as an outlet through which deeply held views are permitted to surface in an otherwise linguistically and culturally restrictive society.

Trump deployed insensitive and abrasive language throughout his presidency, referring to certain nations as "shithole countries" and to immigrants as "thugs," "killers," and "rapists" (Woodhouse, 2018). He used this language to promote the idea of a border wall to curb illegal immigration. His political opponents—such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—routinely denounced both his language and his policy ideas, asserting the politically correct doctrine of inclusivity in response.

When Trump used this type of language, he was appealing to the right-wing portion of the electorate, which closely associates political correctness with liberal politics. Trump also extended his critique to the media, calling CNN "fake news" at every opportunity and referring to the press as "the enemy of the people," on the grounds that the media sought to undermine a president chosen by the voters. His approval ratings indicate that he remained a top contender for a second term and that his base continued to approve of both his words and the ideas they represented.

Conclusion: Language, Culture, and the Future of Political Discourse

It appears that where language in political discourse is concerned, there is no holy grail. There is no single approach to language that will work in all circumstances or for all people. Instead, language reflects culture—and Trump's language represents the culture that the Right seeks to promote, as opposed to the culture and politically correct language of the Left. The standards of political speech are clearly changing.

Whether this new trend in political, social, cultural, and linguistic action will ultimately result in the eradication of PC language and values remains to be seen. What is clear is that the Trump presidency has forced a national conversation about the boundaries of acceptable speech, the meaning of free expression, and the social responsibilities that accompany it. Only time will tell where this conversation leads.

References

Conway, L. C. (2020). How a cultural revolt against "political correctness" helped launch Trump into the presidency. Retrieved from https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2018/02/28/how-a-cultural-revolt-against-political-correctness-helped-launch-trump-into-the-presidency/

Hart, R. P. (2020). Trump and us: What he says and why people listen. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Morini, M. (2020). Lessons from Trump's political communication: How to dominate the media environment. Belmont, CA: Springer Nature.

Marron, M. B. (2019). Misogyny and media in the age of Trump. New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield.

Mooney, A., & Evans, B. (2015). Language, society and power. New York, NY: Routledge.

NPR. (2016). 'Politically correct': The phrase has gone from wisdom to weapon. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2016/12/14/505324427/politically-correct-the-phrase-has-gone-from-wisdom-to-weapon

Travers, M. (2019). In new research, psychologists explore the upside of political incorrectness. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2019/10/09/in-new-research-psychologists-explore-the-upside-of-political-incorrectness/

Woodhouse, L. (2018). Trump's shithole countries remark is at the center of a lawsuit to reinstate protections for immigrants. Retrieved from https://theintercept.com/2018/06/28/trump-tps-shithole-countries-lawsuit/