Rhetorical Analysis: The Harris-Trump Debate

Millions of people around the country have waited for this debate for months, and the time finally came. In the Harris-Trump debate, transcripted by Riley Hoffman, millions tuned in to see which presidential opponent they most resonated with. In the debate, Trump and Harris both spoke passionately about what policies they both would enforce once they win the election. This was an important debate to watch for the views because every policy that is to be enforced will directly impact all of their lives. In the last few months, the tension in this country has been high, causing millions to voice their frustrations. Because of this, the stakes were high for the debate. In the presidential debate, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump both used rhetorical
Trump stated “That didn't happen under Donald Trump." Let me just tell you, they lost 10,000 manufacturing jobs last month” (Hoffman). He uses logos as a way to prove his point, which ultimately will gain the trust of many people giving him a vote. Another way that Trump utilizes logos is by showcasing just how many people trusted him in the past. Trump stated in the debate that “I got almost 75 million votes. The most votes any sitting president has ever gotten” (Hoffman). Using logos in this way will have the audience get reminded that he was once president, showcasing his experience in politics. Lastly, in the presidential debate, Trump uses pathos to get people to feel sympathy for people fighting for this country. During the debate, a question about the war between Israel and Palestine was asked to both candidates and Trump started his response using pathos. He stated “I want the war to stop”. I want to save lives that are being wasted -- people being killed by the millions. It's the millions” (Hoffman). This statement of pathos will impact thousands if not millions of the voters because the war is impacting many people's daily lives