Forms of appeal

The dominant forms of appeal in Donald Trump’s inaugural address are ethos and pathos.

Ethos

Donald Trump relies heavily on ethos in his inaugural address.

For example, Trump often tries to present himself as a legitimate and caring leader: “The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.” (ll. 53-54); “I will fight for you with every breath in my body, and I will never, ever let you down.” (ll. 77-78)

Trump also appeals to the authority of God in several cases, which he uses to support his own views about the importance of unity or security: “The Bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity.” (ll. 97-98); “We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we will be protected by God.” (ll. 102-104)

Trump further appeals to the shared values of the American people, encouraging them to work together and be patriotic regardless of their differences: “It's time to remember that old w...