ABSTRACT

This chapters argues that 2016 U.S. presidential candidate Donald J. Trump demonstrated eloquence in his leadership style—what I characterize as vulgar eloquence—on Twitter. On it, Trump spoke riles his base, the working class and ordinary folk that were characterized in the original meaning of the word vulgar. Trump’s appeals to his audience used hyperbole, enthymeme, and synecdoche, as well as memorable phrases, repetition, and a poetic structure to enact his rhetorical style. I argue that his unique turns of phrase convey a style of eloquence that is befitting the digital medium of his personal Twitter account.