Ideological Representation of Political Mockery: Critical Discourse Analysis of American Presidential Discourse

Abstract

Despite the growing body of research on political discourse, less attention has been given to mockery as an ideological strategy in American presidential discourse. This gap therefore suggests the need to explore how mockery can be used not only as a rhetorical device but also as a communicative strategy. The current study investigates how the act of mocking can function as ideological strategy in political discourses. Mockery contributes to ideological polarization by reinforcing an “them versus us” framework and negatively representing out-groups. The study adopts a mixed- methods research design combining a quantitative and qualitative eclectic analytical framework. While the qualitative approach adopts the framework of Critical Discourse Analysis, drawing on Fairclough‟s (1995) three-dimensional model. The datasets consist of (10) selected extracts from interviews, press conferences, and media interactions. The paper reveals that mockery functions as a powerful strategy for undermining the credibility of journalists and controlling speech interaction. Mockery plays a significant role in constructing ideological meanings and intensifying social divisions through the distinction between “them versus us”. This study engaged to understanding political discourse by highlighting mockery as a communicative strategic tool operating at interactional, ideological, and linguistic levels, and elucidates how language is used to construct power relations in the contemporary political communication.