Riling Up the Base: Examining Trump’s Use of Stereotypes Through an Interdisciplinary Lens

Riling up the Base argues that stereotypes (especially those relating to immigration, race/ethnicity, and gender), not policies, secured Trump’s election win and the ongoing support he enjoys.

From his 2015 campaign announcement through his presidential term and in his time out of office, Donald Trump has used stereotypes as a routine feature in his rhetoric. This book defines them as a crucially important strategy for attracting, retaining, and energizing voters. Covering topics like persuasion, agenda setting, critical race theory, and semiotics, the authors use a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to unpack how Trump motivates his base.

This book provides a full aggregate explanation of the seemingly mesmerizing attachment and adoration his core supporters feel by explaining the way seemingly disparate theories work both alone and together to expose the mechanisms at play.

Anastacia Kurylo is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Communication at Brooklyn College. She has published six books on stereotypes, cultural communication, and group identity.

Ian Reifowitz is SUNY Distinguished Professor of Historical Studies at SUNY-Empire State University. He is the author of three books, including The Tribalization of Politics: How Rush Limbaugh’s Race-Baiting Rhetoric on the Obama Presidency Paved the Way for Trump, and Obama’s America: A Transformative Vision of Our National Identity.