Replication Data for: Donald Trump's words

Is Donald Trump a radical departure from American political tradition or the culmination of pre-existing trends? We explore this question in the context of his political speech. Analyzing a monthly series of Trump’s public addresses from 2015 to 24, we compare them to speeches by other U.S. presidential candidates and global leaders. We show that Trump’s use of violent vocabulary—linked to both war and crime—intensified over time, becoming by late 2024 among the most extreme of any democratic politicians studied. Despite his reputation as an economic nationalist, Trump’s references to economic issues have declined, mirroring a broader bipartisan shift toward identity-based appeals. While his rhetoric includes populist elements, it deviates from conventional populist patterns, particularly in his infrequent references to “the people.” Instead, he embraces an exclusionary populism, centered on vilifying political opponents and marginalized groups.