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This study aims to analyze the use of linguistic strategies of rejection in the 2024 presidential debate between Trump and Harris.

July 15, 2026Open Access

The Rhetoric of Rejection: Deny and Counter in Trump and Harris’s 2024 Debate Discourse

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Mixed-methods analysis examines Deny and Counter strategies in Trump and Harris’s debate, suggesting implications for political discourse.

This study aims to analyze the use of linguistic strategies of rejection in the 2024 presidential debate between Trump and Harris.
Mixed-methods approach combining quantitative analysis and qualitative discourse analysis
Comparison of frequency and distribution of Deny and Counter in debate performances
Analysis of 976 clauses for Trump and 455 clauses for Harris
Trump used 193 Disclaim instances (19.78% of clauses) compared to Harris’s 60 instances (13.19%)
Deny is more prevalent than Counter, with 'not' as the most frequent marker and 'but' as the primary Counter resource
Findings suggest that rejection strategies are central to persuasive political discourse

Nguyen et al. (2026) studied this question.

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Mixed-methods analysis examines Deny and Counter strategies in Trump and Harris’s debate, suggesting implications for political discourse.