A Discourse Analysis of Trump’s Inaugural Speech

This paper investigates the cohesive devices used in Donald Trump’s second-term inaugural speech, delivered on January 20, 2025, through the framework of Halliday and Hasan’s (1976) model of cohesion. The study examines both grammatical cohesion—such as reference, substitution, ellipsis, and conjunction—and lexical cohesion, which involves the use of repeated words, synonyms, and related vocabulary to reinforce key themes and create textual unity. The research addresses a gap in the literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of how both grammatical and lexical cohesive devices contribute to the coherence, clarity, and persuasiveness of political speeches, a topic that has received limited attention in previous studies. A qualitative discourse analysis is conducted, systematically identifying and categorizing cohesive devices throughout the speech. The findings reveal that Trump’s speech relies heavily on personal references (e.g., "we," "our") to foster a sense of collective identity, while the repetition of key terms such as "greatness," "strength," and "freedom" serves to emphasize central messages and rally the audience. Substitution and ellipsis are used to streamline the speech and avoid redundancy, and conjunctions help to maintain logical flow. The study concludes that cohesive devices are not only essential for the structural integrity of political speeches but also function as powerful rhetorical tools that enhance emotional appeal and persuasive impact. By applying Halliday and Hasan’s model to a contemporary political address, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of cohesion in effective political communication.