“Faking The News brilliantly and simply explains how Trump weaponizes language, diverting attention from issues to stir emotions like anger and resentment. These ten chapters will enable you to understand what makes his rhetoric, simplistic as it is, so effective in rousing supporters.” ~ David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Trump biographer, and author of It’s Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration is Doing to America
“As a student of Rhetoric, and a candidate for political office, I have heard and seen many attempts to analyze how Donald Trump was able to convince so many people of things that were either fundamentally untrue or functionally impossible. This book digs deeper and gets it right. The Trump phenomenon is not merely about a person, but a political environment, nurtured over many years and exploited by savvy operatives able to fuel the rhetoric of personal grievance. It also aptly addresses the deep-seated racism and misogyny rampant in the Trump campaign and its enablers. Once we get past the sordid inner workings of the White House, the lessons to be learned are really about persuasion and the ability to manipulate large numbers of voters. Kudos for a valuable contribution to our comprehension of ourselves.” ~ Pamela Keith, attorney, former Judge Advocate for the United States Navy, and Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative of the 18th Congressional District of Florida
“Faking the News is a valuable addition to the growing field of analysis of both Trump’s conscious and intuitive use of rhetoric, propaganda, and branding in America’s profoundly disrupted politics. These essays are full of revelatory ‘So that’s why he does that!’ moments, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Trump’s language and his dark but brilliant manipulation of the American body politic.” ~ Rick Wilson, Republican political strategist, writer, and media consultant. He is a regular contributor to CNN, MSNBC, and FOX, and he is a columnist for The Daily Beast and The Washington Post.
“In these essays, rhetoric scholars use a variety of perspectives to analyze and evaluate Trumpian discourse. Such efforts are important because Trump has redefined the character and purpose of presidential rhetoric. These essays draw on the expertise of scholar/critics who analyze the ways the president has exploited argument and language in order to attack and denigrate the views of those who disagree with him or who threaten his positions and policies. The authors explore scapegoating opponents, privileging white Americans, and racializing issues to divide the citizenry. They analyze charismatic leadership that has divided us on domestic and foreign policy and denigrated the efforts of non-whites, immigrants, and women to carve out a body of supporters who strongly resist criticism of the president’s policies. If Trump’s presidency has been disturbing and his techniques have been annoying, these essays will clarify how Trump has attracted and retained a significant body of supporters and denigrated the view of citizens and politicians who do not share his vision of the nation and the world.” ~ Karlyn Kohrs Campbell, multiple award-winning Professor of Rhetoric and Communication at the University of Minnesota and author or editor of 8 books, including Presidents Creating the Presidency: Deeds Done in Words.
Faking the News 