: dog whistle - ambiguous messaging designed to stoke fears, anxieties, or prejudices against minorities or other marginalized groups, or to covertly signal allegiance to specific subgroups.
: The phrase "Make America Great Again" resonates with nostalgia for a past often associated with racial and social hierarchies. By adopting the slogan, a speaker can appeal to those who prefer a return to a time before modern social progress while remaining outwardly patriotic to the broader audience.

: false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: Historical data actually shows that the stock market has risen more under Democratic than Republican presidencies.^[1]

: demonizing the press - characterizing the press as the enemy, politically motivated, and dishonest.

: post hoc - proclaiming that because something occurred after X, it was caused by X, when no causal relationship at all may exist.
: Taking credit for the low unemployment rate after 10 months, when the rate had been falling for 7 consecutive years, before he took office.^[6]

: false equivalence - implying that two things are essentially the same, despite being significantly different, by focusing on anecdotal or superficial similarities.
: Between predictions for quarterly GDP growth (which hit 3%) and annual GDP growth, which, as predicted, never reached 3% for 2017.^[7][8]

: enough with political correctness - rebranding the voicing of of racism, bigotry, and xenophobia as just telling it like it is.

: virtue words - using emotionally appealing words that align with the target audience's value system to elicit approval or support.
: Words like "pro-family," "pro-police," "pro-worker," and "pro-American" pressure conformity by creating an implied binary in which not fully embracing this agenda means being against it.

: scapegoating - assigning blame to a vulnerable target, often without justification.
: The statement blames immigrants (both illegal and otherwise) for a myriad of societal and economic challenges in the U.S. Phrases like 'drugs and gangs pouring into our country' portray these groups as the sole cause of systemic issues, diverting attention from broader contributing factors.

: demonizing - characterizing a group or those who support an opposing viewpoint as threatening, immoral, or less than human.
: Those that have immigrated to the U.S. via chain migration.

: appeal to tradition - suggesting that moving away from or abandoning a long-standing practice could have detrimental or even dangerous implications.
: Trump appeals to a time when "Merry Christmas" was more commonly used in public spaces, suggesting that limiting expressions of Christianity in public settings is unnecessary.

: demonizing - characterizing a group or those who support an opposing viewpoint as threatening, immoral, or less than human.
: Illegal aliens.

: virtue words - using emotionally appealing words that align with the target audience's value system to elicit approval or support.
: Phrases like "tough on crime," "strong on borders," and "strong on immigration" play on fear and the human tendency to equate forcefulness with security.

: honor by association - defending or championing cultural sacred cows to transfer the respect, authority, and prestige associated with those symbols onto oneself.
: Trump champions both the national anthem and God, thereby aligning himself with the revered ideals of patriotism, divine authority, and inalienable rights.

: honor by association - defending or championing cultural sacred cows to transfer the respect, authority, and prestige associated with those symbols onto oneself.
: Trump references the national anthem, the sacrifices of U.S. troops, and the Constitution, aligning himself with the patriotism, bravery, and values embodied in these national icons.

: glittering generalities - vague, emotionally charged language that evokes strong feelings or associations, but offers few if any specifics.
: Denouncing "powerful forces and very bad, evil people, who know who they are and liked it the other way, and who will do anything, anytime and never stop" when it is unclear who these people are, what they are doing, or what exactly is being done to stop them.

: poisoning the well - discrediting your opponent to an audience in advance to encourage dismissing any future claims or accusations they may make in the future.
: Trump preemptively dismisses current negative polling results as fake news, discrediting the validity of any future unfavorable polls before they are even conducted.

: appeal to pity - portraying oneself as a victim to elicit sympathy, deflect criticism, and foster a sense of shared vulnerability with the audience.
: Trump portrays himself as a victim of personal sacrifice to address the harm he felt was being done to the country, fostering a sense of shared urgency and resolve with the audience.

: common folk - connecting with an audience by giving the impression that you understand and share their everyday struggles and concerns.
: By embracing the term "deplorables," Trump fosters a sense of shared identity with his audience, reinforcing his connection to their everyday struggles and concerns.