The Trump Effect: Impacts of Political Rhetoric on Minorities and America’s Image

Abstract

This thesis addresses the impact of President Donald Trump's negative rhetoric on minority groups in the United States and how this has a ripple effect on America's global image and international relations. This research is on the national stability of the United States following the Trump campaign with an analysis of the effects of Trump's divisive political rhetoric. It begins with a brief background on Trump's path to presidency and follows up by distinguishing between hate speech and free speech. Next, it introduces the five main minority groups most affected by Trump's political rhetoric. Following the identified minorities, the research method is introduced followed by the findings and a final conclusion on the impact of Trump's language on the studied groups and the implications this has on US global affairs. Trump set the precedent of normalizing hate speech as president of the United States and this research reveals the impact of language on national stability and security. This study examines the impact of Trump's political rhetoric on women, religious, and racial minorities based on an analysis of crime statistics motivated by racial, religious, or ethnic intolerance. This research sheds light on the violence minorities have become more susceptible to since the commencement of the divisive 2016 campaign. Through an assessment of these data, the impact of Trump's political language on the stability of the diverse United States population can be observed. This was accomplished by comparing the number of reported hate crimes and violence towards minorities throughout the Trump presidential election to the reports of hate crimes and violence targeting minorities resulting from prior presidential terms. My hypothesis is that Trump's Presidential ongoing campaign has not only marginalized minorities within the US, but that it has also started to marginalize America from the rest of the world. Through an analysis of events that took place during the campaign and into Trump's first year in office, incidents of violence and hate crimes that targeted minorities he specifically rebuked in his speeches, and the correlations found between Trump's rhetoric and hate crimes, a conclusion that the Trump effect is detrimental on the overall stability and security of the country can be reached. This research will help in regulating policies regarding free speech and hate speech, informing policy makers on what should and should not be considered acceptable political discourse particularly when running campaigns. This thesis also sheds light on some of the drastic consequences that are taking place internationally provoked by increasingly harsh political rhetoric, and specifically, I contend, due to the shift from America being perceived as a world leader of change and humanitarian causes to being only "American First".