Constructing Identity Through Discourse of Trump and Tarrant

Abstract

This paper investigates how identity is constructed in the discourse of far-right terrorist Brenton Tarrant and right-wing populist figure Donald Trump. It examines the use of language to create in-groups and out-groups and to legitimize political action through narratives of victimhood and heroism. Although situated in different ideological and institutional contexts, both speakers mobilize emotionally charged, binary rhetoric to construct political identities and define threats. The study applies Critical Discourse Analysis, using Fairclough’s three-dimensional model, to analyze two representative texts: Tarrant’s manifesto The Great Replacement and Trump’s 2023 campaign speech in Waco, Texas. Two recurring motifs—self-victimization and heroism—are examined in terms of lexical, syntactic, and metaphorical features. The analysis reveals notable overlap in rhetorical strategies, including war metaphors, repetition, and pronoun use to reinforce group boundaries. While Tarrant’s discourse promotes direct violent action and Trump’s remains within democratic norms, both rely on moral urgency and shared grievance to construct authority. The findings suggest that such strategies may serve as a discursive link between populist and extremist ideologies. Although limited to two case studies, the paper offers insight into the rhetorical mechanisms that shape identity and invites further research into their circulation across political spaces.