Donald J. Trump’s Inaugural Address

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Donald J. Trump’s Inaugural Address
Overview
Context
About the Author
Explanation and Analysis of the Document
Audience
Impact
Document Text

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Abstract

Donald J. Trump’s Inaugural Address echoed the populist themes that carried him to the presidency in the 2016 election: anger toward political elites, skepticism toward immigration and global institutions, and opposition to freetrade agreements. In the address, Trump used the phrase “American carnage,” which for the president-elect represented a decades-long process in which politicians sold out the nation’s interests to foreign governments and low-skill immigrants, devastating American manufacturing and harming the country’s traditional culture. In his speech, Trump promised to put “America First,” speaking plainly to the rural voters and blue-collar workers who had formed the base of his support during the campaign. The result represented a dramatic shift from the positive, bridge-building inaugural addresses that previous presidents tended to deliver.

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