ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 examines Arabic language content, drawn from a variety of nations, of the 2016 US presidential election. This chapter provides quantitative and qualitative data regarding how continued US military involvement in the Middle East and the candidates’ rhetoric and stated positions on US–Middle East policy shaped coverage of the election. This chapter provides a brief overview of US–Arab relations and how these shape Arab media constructions of the US election, the legitimacy of democratic governance more broadly, and the most pressing questions of Arab identity and policy. Results affirmed previous studies’ depiction of the region’s dual culturally-positive/politically-negative narrative of the US, with Arab media narratives of democracy affirming its worth, despite US citizens’ reported disillusionment with the process. Arab media was critical of candidate Trump’s sexist and anti-Islamic rhetoric, yet supported his affectionate relationship with Russia as a means to end the Syrian war. Nevertheless, this alliance undermined US global influence by resonating with narratives depicting increased global multipolarity, limited US power, and rising Russian and Iranian influence.
