Donald Trump’s immigration speech: How metaphors function to convey messages

This study analyzes the immigration speech delivered by Donald J.Trump during his 2016 presidential election campaign in Arizona. Using the tenor-vehicle model of metaphor, the study identifies an unconventional metaphorical function in the speech. While a more traditional pattern of metaphorical language is absent in his speech, the function of his phrases, analyzed in this study, conforms to the usual form of the language of metaphors. Though metaphors are generally nouns or pronouns in the tenor-vehicle model, Trump’s metaphors are expressed in verbs or verb phrases. The findings extend the tenor-vehicle model beyond its traditional pattern of metaphorical function. The findings also call for further study to look into Trump’s other speeches aiming to understand the unconventional way of metaphorical function from broader perspectives.