Constructing the Golden Age: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Trump’s 2025 Inaugural Address

Abstract

This paper critically analyzed the second inaugural speech by Donald Trump on January 20, 2025, to understand how his rhetoric creates power, mobilization, and support. The aim of the research was to examine linguistic, discursive, and sociopolitical aspects of Trump golden-age vision to identify the latent ideological, political, and social aspects. The qualitative research design was utilized. Foucault theory of discourse and power alongside a model of three-dimensional Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of Fairclough were used as the theoretical frameworks of the study. The data was gathered form of publicly available transcripts and recordings. This study used thematic code and textual, discursive and contextual analysis to discuss the interplay of power, ideology and language. Linguistic analysis shows that Trump utilized emotionally charged language, metaphors, and rhetorical repetition that he used to build a story about national renewal and to position himself as a transformative leader. His agenda is justified through intertextual allusions to past accomplishments like Manifest Destiny and the policies of William McKinley, which helps to build in-group solidarity. Trump discursively replicates nationalist and populist ideologies by using the radical and corrupt establishment as the central hurdle to the rise of America. The results concluded to larger sociopolitical trends, such as right-wing populism, political polarization, and anti-globalist ideas, as they emphasize the way in which the rhetoric of Trump escalates crises to solidify power and provide support to exclusionary policies. This research contributes to the study of the functioning of political discourse as a means of power structure, nation building, and resistance mobilization.