DONALD TRUMP: “CHANGING THINGS”
ANALYSIS BY BRITT BLOMSO AND CHARLIE KAISER
In a recent political advertisement, Donald Trump showed how he was changing things to “Make American Great Again.” The creators of the “Changing Things” advertisement used specific manipulation techniques derived from Terror Management Theory to try to persuade American voters that Donald Trump is the right man for a second term.
Perhaps most apparent in this particular campaign is the strategy of the sacredness of one’s culture. Trump works to elevate his tough guy culture while degrading the opposition by referring to them as “The Swamp.” The Swamp is depicted as the enemy through darker lighting and a voice over explaining that, because Democrats could not defeat Trump, they now seek to denigrate and disparage him. This tactic simplifies the complexity of the opponent to zero, but also enforces the urgency of the situation at hand. Furthermore, the portrayal of The Swamp pushes the issue that the opposing party threatens Americans’ very freedom because they are trying to take down Trump. Because Trump has established fear in his followers, only he can protect them from the “left” / Evil.
Another manipulation tactic that is used in this campaign is the idea of Holy Longing. The advertisement focuses on how Trump is the only man who can “change Washington,” implying the idea of cultural heroism. Showing what he has done to secure our borders and create 6 million jobs plays directly into the American Dream, which has been achieved through the eyes of his supporters by his job creation and border security. This is of particular importance because voters want to believe in their President, but they also need to belong to something that will continue to change our country for the better. The idea of Holy Longing also plays into the idea of “social death:” One of the more terrifying thoughts for any individual is the idea of failure, which is what social death implies. This concept plays into the need for self-esteem—through jobs and security—to cope with our death anxiety.
Due to the increased death anxiety surrounding the United States, mortality salience causes individuals to cling to their culture, and look to find a leader who will tirelessly defend it. In this “Changing Things” advertisement, it is blatantly clear that Trump is associated with defending our country and the “sacred” values we hold. The video states that, “It takes a tough guy to change Washington; it takes Donald Trump.” This statement again implies that he is changing Washington back to what the people have wanted, and what we have failed to see in recent years. Through the video we see that The Swamp cannot hold Trump down, and that no matter what they try to do to defeat him, he will always persevere. This is the leader they want, this is the leader they need to protect them from the terror of death – the cultural hero that emerges from The Swamp that tried desperately to hold him back.
References
Burke, B. L., Kosloff, S., & Landau, M. J. (2013). Death Goes to the Polls: A Meta-Analysis of Mortality Salience Effects on Political Attitudes. Political Psychology, 34, 183-200. doi: 10.1111/pops.12005
Britt Blomso will graduate from Fort Lewis College in 2021 and wants to be a leader in Developmental and Leadership Psychology where she will work diligently to create a standardized protocol for college athletics and mental health with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Britt’s initial interests were in sports performance psychology and how to motivate athletes to compete at the highest level. Through her journey as a college athlete, she began to notice and experience the gap between physical and mental health, and how one was much more important to athletic programs. Britt seeks to pursue her master’s degree at the University of Oslo in Norway where she wants to work with the Women’s National Soccer Team to implement mental health protocols that include mandated rest days and required counseling sessions.
Charlie Kaiser will graduate from Fort Lewis College in 2021 and wants to be a High School teacher who specializes in teaching life skills to students in topics such as fiscal responsibility, sexual education, healthy relationships, emotional intelligence and empathy, resiliency, and decision-making and problem-solving. She wants to create her own curriculum for the course she teaches after recognizing the gap in life skills knowledge that members of the youth community have access. Charlie wants to pursue her master’s degree in Social Work from the University of California at Berkley, and work with victims of domestic violence at a shelter in Phoenix, Arizona. She also wants to coach women’s soccer at the High School where she teaches and put an emphasis on team strength, mental health, and resiliency within her players.