"She's just goading him": Political linguist analyzes Harris' and Trump's language during debate

Record ID: 1840902

  • Title: "She's just goading him": Political linguist analyzes Harris' and Trump's language during debate
  • Date: 11th September 2024
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 10, 2024) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) NORMA MENDOZA-DENTON, UCLA ANTHROPOLOGY/LINGUIST PROFESSOR, SAYING: “She didn't do quite enough to move specific proposals ahead. And he spent a lot of time kind of attacking Biden, which everybody told him not to do. I mean, everybody, everybody, all the news media from all the who
  • Embargoed: 25th September 2024 06:29
  • Keywords: DONALD TRUMP KAMALA HARRIS PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: North America,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA001319911092024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: As their high-stakes debate in Philadelphia commenced on Tuesday night (September 10), Vice President Kamala Harris walked across the stage, maneuvered around a lectern and stuck out her hand in greeting.
    "Kamala Harris," she said to former President Donald Trump by way of introduction.
    Meeting him for the first time in person, Harris forced her opponent to shake hands, something he and her predecessor as the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, did not do in June.
    It was one of many moments at the debate in which the two candidates used body language, tone and demeanor instead of talking points or policy positions to do battle.
    Norma Mendoza-Denton, a Professor of Anthropology at the University of California Los Angeles who studies language used by politicians, praised a particular phrase Trump used repeatedly.
    “Trump did something very skillful, which is that he almost never spoke about Harris independently. He called Biden her boss - several times, maybe like 5 or 6 times. And by calling her that, he was actually minimizing her and making her an underling and not giving her any of her own specific agency.”
    The vice president maintained an expressive face throughout the evening, raising her eyebrows, laughing, and looking on as if in disbelief as Trump spoke, moments that were quickly snapped and recirculated by her fans on social media. At times she looked at the Republican nominee quizzically and remarked that his comments were "not true."
    Trump mostly kept a serious expression on his face, while sometimes smiling with pursed lips or shaking his head. He accused Harris of mistruths as well. "There she goes again. It's a lie," he said at one point.
    Mendoza-Denton said Harris irked Trump at times.
    "She said world leaders are laughing at Donald Trump. Donald Trump is weak and wrong on national security. Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people. And that's just, you know, like, of course, you know, playing on The Apprentice, you're fired. So she's just goading him.”
    Throughout the debate, both candidates raised their voices. Harris, 59, frequently turned towards her opponent as she spoke, at one point appearing to scold him. Trump, 78, mostly looked straight ahead.
    (Production: Jorge Garcia)
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