A populist president in campaign: Donald Trump, or the management of the Covid-19 crisis

Abstract

This article examines the discursive and argumentative procedures tinged with populism by which Donald Trump, who goes against the health policy adopted by most democratic countries against Covid-19, tries to legitimate his decisions and present them as complying with the public good. We analyze the way in which the address to the nation of the United States leader endeavors to reaffirm his legitimacy as incumbent president weakened by recent attempts at impeachment, and to strengthen the authority of his person in view of the forthcoming elections. From this perspective, we attempt to identify the discursive strategies that fall under the rubric of national populism and the shared values that underlie them, examining how they fit into the overall argumentation used to achieve the president-candidate’s persuasive ends.